2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
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Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses escalated in April 2024, spreading in the United States and other countries, as part of wider Israel–Hamas war protests. The escalation began after mass arrests at the Columbia University campus occupation, led by anti-Zionist groups, in which protesters demanded the university's disinvestment from Israel over its alleged genocide of Palestinians.[15] In the United States over 2,950 protesters have been arrested,[14] including faculty members and professors,[1][16] on over 60 campuses.[14] On May 7, protests spread across Europe with mass arrests in the Netherlands.[17][18] As of May 12, 20 encampments have been established in the United Kingdom, and across universities in Australia and Canada.[19][20] Some protesters have called the movement a "student intifada".[lower-alpha 1][24]
2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses | |
---|---|
Part of the Israel–Hamas war protests | |
Date | April 17, 2024 – present (1 month and 2 days) |
Location | |
Caused by | Opposition to |
Goals | Universities divesting from Israel |
Methods | |
Casualties | |
Injuries | 15-25+ protesters hospitalized[13] |
Arrested | 2,900+ protesters[14] |
The different protests' varying demands include severing financial ties with Israel and its affiliated entities, transparency over financial ties,[25] and amnesty for protesters.[26] The occupations have resulted in the closure of Columbia University and Cal Poly Humboldt;[27][28] Portland State University pausing financial ties with Boeing over its ties to Israel;[29] and Trinity College Dublin agreeing to end certain investments in Israeli companies.[30] Several other universities made agreements with protesters in order for encampments to be dismantled,[31] some universities' graduation ceremonies were canceled,[32][33] and protests occurred at various graduation ceremonies in May 2024.[34][35] Universities have suspended students, with some also expelled.[1][36] The protests have been compared to the 1960s anti-Vietnam protests,[37] the 1968 protests,[38] and protests against apartheid in the 1980s.[39]
Over 200 groups have expressed support for the protests,[40] as well as Jewish U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and multiple progressive members of Congress.[41] Some prominent pro-Israel figures have described the protests as antisemitic,[42] including President Joe Biden,[26] former president Donald Trump,[43] U.S. governors,[44][45][46] and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[47] Pro-Palestinian and Jewish student protesters at Columbia have insisted the protests are not antisemitic.[48][49] The police response to the protests has also been criticized by various Democrats[50][51][52] and human rights organizations.[53][54]