"We Keep Us Safe": Pro-Palestine Protests at American Colleges & Universities
By Rebecca Horton & Nicole Townsend
Editor's Note: This is a developing story. It is up to date as of Thursday, May 2, but may not contain the most accurate information. For further reading about the ongoing student encampments, click here.
A National Movement
Image courtesy of Amir Hamja/The New York Times.
A powerful symbol of solidarity, protests have erupted on college campuses across the United States in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Protestors, many of whom are students, have demanded that their colleges and universities not only call for a ceasefire, but meet additional demands presented by their student bodies.
The spark for this nationwide movement was ignited at Columbia University, where 108 students were arrested due to their involvement in a pro-Palestinian student encampment. This encampment, an autonomous zone on the Columbia campus, was created as part of Popular University for Gaza, a campaign led by the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) organization. According to a statement from the NSJP, Popular University for Gaza is “a coordinated pressure campaign against university administrations and trustees to immediately divest from the Israeli state.”
Following the arrests on Columbia's campus, student encampments have broken out nationwide at numerous colleges and universities.
Their Demands
- For each school with its own branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to publicly call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
- For each school with its own branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to disclose and divest from any and all investors with ties to Israel.
Almost 50 colleges and universities across over 27 states have created student encampments as part of Popular University for Gaza. In the twelve days since the campaign began, these schools have become uniquely tied to the movement:
Columbia University
Image courtesy of Bing Guan/The New York Times.
Located in New York City, Columbia University became the first school in the country to organize a student encampment. Columbia students began their encampment on Wednesday, April 17.
Following the creation of the encampment, Columbia University warned students to disperse, threatening them with detention and even suspension. When they refused to comply, 108 student protestors were arrested. The arrest of these 108 students prompted a response from National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), who created the Popular University for Gaza campaign.
Despite the arrests, the Columbia University encampment continued until Tuesday, April 30. One day earlier, students barricaded Columbia's Hamilton Hall and renamed it after a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was murdered in Gaza, “Hind Hall.” After students refused to disperse from Hind Hall, the New York Police Department (N.Y.P.D.) stormed the building and dismantled the encampment.
Emerson College
Image courtesy of David L Ryan/The Boston Globe.
On Sunday, April 21, students attending Emerson College began their encampment. Unlike most colleges and universities, Emerson College does not have a traditional campus. Thus, the Emerson encampment was set up in the 2 Boylston Place Alley of Boston, Massachusetts.
In the early hours of Thursday, April 25, police officers from the Boston Police Department (B.P.D.) and state troopers from the Massachusetts State Police (M.S.P.) stormed the encampment, arresting 118 student protesters. Despite being one the smallest school with a Popular University for Gaza encampment, Emerson briefly held the record for the highest number of arrests.
Students Arrested as of April 29, 2024
Cate Purvis, a sophomore Theater and Performance major at Emerson College, was at the encampment mere hours before the arrests began. “Two of my suitemates were down in the alley, while me and my roommate watched the livestream from our suite. We were both texting all of our friends to make sure we knew where they were.”
Purvis expressed frustration with media coverage of the encampment and the arrests.
“A lot of the published stories have been really frustrating to read. I remember seeing all of the articles that claimed no students had been injured, while I was literally sitting in the waiting room as my friend was diagnosed with a concussion.”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Image courtesy of Charles Krupa/AP Photo.
Students attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, began their encampment on Sunday, April 21. On that day, around 30 MIT students set up over a dozen tents on the Kregs lawn at MIT.
No arrests have been made at this time. The school, which has known financial and research ties with Israel and the Israeli military, has yet to agree to any demands.
Yale University
Image courtesy of Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press.
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University was one of the first schools following Columbia to organize a student encampment. On Monday, April 22, the Yale Police Department (Y.P.D.) arrested 45 protestors. They were charged with criminal trespassing, even though the encampment was located on the Yale campus.
In response, an estimated 200 student protesters blocked an intersection. After being threatened with police action, the group dispersed to continue their demonstration on campus. The road was reopened, and no students were taken into custody.
Disclose, Divest
Image courtesy of Kate Medley/The New York Times.
On March 1, Dartmouth University became the first school to begin the process of divestment. They did so after students took part in an 11-day hunger strike. For this reason, Dartmouth has not taken part in the Popular University for Gaza campaign. However, several other pro-Palestine protests have taken place.
In spite of the arrests, the Popular University for Gaza campaign has proven to be fairly successful. Two notable schools, Brown University and Occidental College, have begun the process of divestment as a direct response to student encampments organized on their campus.
Brown University
Image courtesy of Joseph Prezioso/Getty Images.
On Tuesday, April 30, students at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island began the process of dismantling their encampment. They did so after the university agreed to discuss and vote on potentially divesting funds with ties to Israel. Discussions will begin in May, with a final vote in October.
“We will continue to pressure Brown to ensure we divest in October,” said the Brown Divest Coalition in a statement on their Instagram.
Occidental College
Image courtesy of James Miller/The Occidental.
On Tuesday, April 30, mere hours after students at Occidental College began the process of creating their encampment, the college disclosed their investment in Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems, Caterpillar and Boeing. They did so in response to a letter submitted by the Occidental College branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (OxySJP).
The Occidental College encampment has plans to continue until the college agrees to divest from the four companies named.
We Will Not Stop, We Will Not Rest
For students at colleges and universities across the United States, protest is a path towards a better future. As the spring semester comes to an end, Cate Purvis hopes that more schools will follow in the footsteps of Dartmouth, Brown and Occidental.
“I'm hoping that institutions, including Emerson, will divest from Israel and provide full financial transparency. I'm also hoping that students nationwide will continue to use their voices to peacefully advocate for what is right,” Purvis said. “People must keep creating spaces for important conversations about the conflict in Palestine. Clearly, we aren't where we should be in regard to a lot of these issues.”