Watan-The scope of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip widened at American universities in the aftermath of the repression exerted against protesting students at Columbia University in the United States.
Supportive demonstrators staged protests at American universities, including New York University, the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Yale University, where dozens of protesters were arrested after officials stated they defied warnings to vacate.
Yale University stated in a release that it repeatedly requested protesting students to leave the university grounds, cautioning about possible detainment or facing disciplinary action. According to the university, 47 students were detained by US police. The statement mentioned that the detained students could face disciplinary measures by Yale University itself, potentially leading to academic suspension.
The university added that “actions against the students came as a result of their refusal to leave its grounds (during solidarity vigils for Palestine), which threatened the security of the entire Yale community and hindered access to university facilities,” according to the statement’s claims.
هذه اللقطات ستزيد من حدة وانتشار التظاهرات الطلابية. نعمات ساعدت في اشتعال الثورة. كل همها كان الانبطاح للصهاينة. رب ضارة نافعة. سبحان الله. pic.twitter.com/CrQ8Nf7Nla #تمرد_طلاب_امريكا
— Samar D Jarrah (@SamarDJarrah) April 23, 2024
American Students’ Rebellion
The hashtag “#American_Students_Rebellion” circulated on social media platforms, affirming the widening scope of anger.
Anger at Columbia University
Protesters had gathered throughout the weekend on Columbia University’s campus in New York City, where police arrested over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who staged a sit-in.
Since those arrests, supportive demonstrators protested at other universities across the United States.
🎥رغم الاقتحامات وفضّ الاعتصام الداعم لفلسطين والاعتقالات طلاب جامعة #نيويورك يواصلون حراكهم .#تمرد_طلاب_امريكا pic.twitter.com/lQW1iU7AoE
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) April 23, 2024
Mass Arrests
US authorities had detained over 100 students during a protest organized at Columbia University in New York City after its president, Nemat Minouche, allowed the New York Police Department to dismantle a camp set up by students protesting the Israeli war in Gaza.
The protesters initiated their protests last week, urging the university to divest from companies linked to Israel.
More than 100 of them were arrested after the university authorities called the police to attend to the private campus on Thursday, escalating tensions and prompting more people to join the movement over the weekend.
Anger at the University President of Egyptian Descent
The Congress previously heard from the university president, Nemat Shafiq, who herself affirmed that “antisemitism has no place on campus.”
Nemat Shafiq, a British-American of Egyptian descent and the first woman to lead the prestigious university, told students in a speech that she allowed the police to dismantle dozens of tents erected by protesters because they violated university rules and organized unauthorized demonstrations.
Shafiq’s statements and her cooperation in suppressing the protests sparked widespread condemnation and outrage in the Arab street and on social media, and her actions against the students caused a stir in Arab and local Egyptian media.
Biden Speaks Out Against Antisemitism
US President Joe Biden condemned what he termed “antisemitism” on university campuses.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his “panic and disgust” at reports of antisemitism at Columbia University, promising that the police would stop anyone violating the law.