After US, university protests spread worldwide in solidarity with Palestine

NEW DELHI: Student protests against the Israeli military assault on Gaza have spread to several countries following the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, according to an AFP report.

Student activists have organized protests at various universities, setting up temporary encampments on campus grounds. The protesters are calling for their schools to sever connections with universities in Israel and businesses that financially benefit from the ongoing conflict.

The students have expressed their views through these demonstrations, insisting that their educational institutions should not maintain relationships with entities linked to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. They argue that such ties are inappropriate and that universities should take a stand against the conflict by disassociating themselves from organizations that profit from it.

Here’s a overview of the countries where pro-Palestine protests are taking place:

United States

Across the nation, approximately 2,000 individuals have been arrested during demonstrations that evoke memories of the Vietnam War era, according to US media reports. Law enforcement has aggressively disbanded numerous student sit-ins at various institutions, such as New York University and the University of California, Los Angeles. President Joe Biden finally addressed the demonstrations breaking the period of silence amid election season, asserting that “order must prevail”.

At the University of Virginia, police utilized chemical agents to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest camp.

In the past few days, law enforcement has taken action to break up numerous student sit-ins by force, such as the one at New York University, which was done at the behest of the university’s administration.

Students who had barricaded themselves inside Columbia University, the focal point of the student protests in New York, alleged that police used excessive force when clearing out the faculty. “Demonstrators barricaded inside Columbia University, the epicentre in New York of the student protests, complained of police brutality when officers cleared the faculty.”

At UCLA, law enforcement personnel cleared out an encampment taking over 200 demonstrators into custody.

Law enforcement officers, equipped with riot gear, utilized chemical agents to disperse a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment at the University of Virginia, according to a report by the student-run newspaper, The Cavalier Daily. The article stated, “Dozens of police in riot gear used chemical sprays to break up a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Virginia.”

After negotiations, Brown University and student protesters reached a compromise. The students agreed to dismantle their encampment on university property, and in return, the administration committed to evaluating the possibility of “divesting from companies enabling and profiting from the genocide in Gaza”.

France

In Paris, France, law enforcement personnel removed demonstrators who were participating in a sit-in at Sciences Po, resulting in the arrest of 91 people. The interim administrator of the institution declined to acquiesce to a request made by students to investigate the university’s associations with academic institutions in Israel. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, denounced the blockades at the university, stating that they “prevented debate”.

At Sorbonne University, the Union of Jewish Students in France organized a “dialogue table” on Friday to engage in discussions.

Joann Sfar, a guest speaker and comic-book artist, emphasized, “Jewish students have their place in this dialogue.” Sfar expressed his understanding of the students’ feelings, acknowledging that they were “outraged by what’s going on in the Middle East”.

Rima Hassan, a Franco-Palestinian international law expert known for her strong criticism of what she calls “genocide” in Gaza, was initially prevented from speaking at a conference at Paris-Dauphine University.

University administrators had imposed the ban, citing concerns about potential public disturbances. However, the decision to prohibit Hassan’s participation was later reversed by judicial authorities.

Germany

Law enforcement officials took action on Friday to remove demonstrators who had gathered near Humboldt University, situated in the heart of Berlin.

According to the police, several protesters were “forcibly” relocated after they declined to move to a different designated area.

Kai Wegner, the mayor of Berlin, expressed disapproval of the demonstration. In a statement on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, Wegner emphasized that the city had no desire to witness incidents similar to those that have occurred in the United States or France.

Canada

In various Canadian cities, including Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver, students have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The most significant and inaugural encampment has been established at McGill University in Montreal, where hundreds of protesters have gathered despite the looming possibility of police intervention. The demonstrators have pledged to maintain their presence until the university severs all monetary and scholarly connections with Israel.

On Wednesday, the university’s administration expressed their desire for the immediate removal of the encampment, claiming that some of the protesters were not affiliated with the student community.

Australia

Supporters of both Gaza and Israel, numbering in the hundreds, confronted each other at Sydney University on Friday. The two groups engaged in slogan-shouting and flag-waving to express their opposing views.

Despite some tense moments, the demonstration and counter-demonstration remained largely peaceful, with only a handful of heated verbal exchanges taking place.

For the past 10 days, pro-ceasefire activists have been staging a sit-in on a grassy area in front of the university. “They want it to cut ties with Israeli institutions and reject funding from arms companies.”

Ireland

Students at Trinity College Dublin initiated a sit-in protest on Friday, expressing their support for Palestine by referring to the demonstration as a “solidarity encampment with Palestine”.

Mexico

Students from Mexico’s largest university, UNAM, established a camp in the nation’s capital on Thursday to protest against Israel’s actions in Palestine. The students chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will overcome”.

The protesters are demanding that the Mexican government cut all ties with Israel in response to the ongoing conflict in the region.

Switzerland

Approximately 100 students have been staging a sit-in at the entrance of a building at Lausanne University since Thursday. The students are demanding an academic boycott of Israel and “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”

The peaceful protest is set to continue until Monday.

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