Anti-Israel encampments swept across elite universities on Monday, including at Columbia University, where antisemitic and pro-terror demonstrations reached a peak at the start of Passover. Incidents at Columbia included hateful rhetoric such as a sign pointing to Jewish students as “Al-Qasam’s Next Targets” and agitators shouting “We are Hamas” and “We don’t want no Zionists here.” Despite Columbia’s leadership expressing a desire to keep NYPD off campus, a strong police presence was seen outside, with arrests being made on Monday afternoon. A similar demonstration also took place outside a New York University building, where protesters displayed signs connecting Black Rock to “Israel Apartheid” and chanted slogans against Zionists.
Encampment-style demonstrations were also seen at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College. Images from Emerson showed tents with signs advocating for the eradication of the Jewish state and calling for an end to support for Israel’s actions, along with the Palestinian flag. Aerial footage from MIT captured anti-Israel activists setting up camp on campus grounds. The protests have been met with varying responses from university officials, with MIT’s president being the only one to keep her job despite failing to condemn calls for genocide. Columbia’s president allowed NYPD onto campus to arrest over 100 people for trespassing, following concerns over Jewish students’ safety in the face of antisemitism.
In New Haven, Connecticut, about 45 protesters were arrested at Yale University for misdemeanor trespassing after setting up tents on campus and calling for the university to sever any ties with defense companies that do business with Israel. Yale President Peter Salovey issued a statement warning protesters that their actions, including setting up structures and defying university policies, were creating safety hazards and hindering the university’s work. Protesters were given until the end of the weekend to leave, with further warnings on Monday morning before police intervened.
At the demonstrations, protesters displayed signs with antisemitic rhetoric, such as calling for the end of the Jewish state and accusing Israel of committing crimes. Demonstrations at Columbia, NYU, MIT, and Yale led to arrests for trespassing and violations of university policies. University leadership grappled with how to respond to the protests, with some allowing police presence on campus to ensure safety and order. The protests raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students and created tensions between pro-Israel and anti-Israel groups on college campuses.
Despite the actions taken by police and university officials to quell the protests, demonstrators regrouped after arrests were made and continued to block streets near the campuses. The demonstrations sparked discussions about free speech, campus safety, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the university communities and beyond. The protests revealed deep divisions and tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some supporting the demonstrations as a form of activism while others condemned them as harmful and antisemitic. Overall, the protests underscored the complexities and challenges of addressing contentious political issues on college campuses.
