Pro-Palestinian demonstrators formed an encampment on Harvard's main campus Wednesday, adding to the growing list of prestigious universities disrupted by anti-war demonstrations.
A small group of students put up about 13 tents in Harvard Yard while hundreds more joined them in support in front of the John Harvard statue, the Harvard Crimson reported.
Tensions have boiled over on several college campuses in the past week with protesters demanding that schools divest from companies they allege "profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine." The protesters also seek an end to Israel's military action in Gaza.
According to the Crimson, three separate student government organizations at the Divinity School, the Law School, and the Graduate School of Design, have passed resolutions calling for either an end to military action in Gaza or divestment in Israeli companies.
On Sunday, Harvard had restricted access to Harvard Yard so that only Harvard ID holders may enter. Anticipating its own protests, Harvard was hoping to avoid chaos. Columbia University, Yale, and New York University were among the most active with more than 100 arrests reported following a demonstration last week at Columbia's South Lawn in Morningside Heights.
A sign posted on the gates of Harvard Yard read: "Structures, including tents and tables, are not permitted in the Yard without prior permission. Blocking pedestrian pathways or access to building entrances is prohibited. Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action."
Princeton, Brown, and Cornell are among the other Ivy League Universities engaging in their own Pro-Palestine movements as of Wednesday.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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