Protesters accuse Harvard of complicity with Trump over pro-Palestine censorship

Greater than 100 protesters gathered at Cambridge Frequent on April 19, 2024, for an illustration accusing Harvard College of suppressing pro-Palestine speech and scholarship, even because it resists sure calls for from the Trump administration. The protest was organized by a number of unrecognized pupil teams, together with Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine and Jews 4 Palestine, and featured speeches, chants, and a short march by Harvard Sq..
The protesters argued that Harvard’s actions towards pro-Palestine advocacy have been hypocritical, because the college concurrently defies the Trump administration publicly whereas, in line with protesters, aligning with its insurance policies by inside repression. College officers didn’t reply to a request for remark following the rally, in line with The Harvard Crimson.
Audio system hyperlink Harvard to Trump administration insurance policies
Addressing the gang amid loud counterprotester noise, Violet T.M. Barron ’26 claimed that Harvard’s monetary ties to Israel demonstrated alignment with what she described as fascist parts in US politics. “Why has the continuing presidential showdown between Donald Trump and Harvard President Alan Garber been framed as one between opposing forces?” she requested. “Harvard’s Zionism and Trump’s fascism will not be at odds. They’re two sides of the identical coin,” as reported by The Harvard Crimson.
Following an hour of speeches and chanting, demonstrators marched from Cambridge Frequent to Johnston Gate. Though entry to Harvard Yard was restricted to Harvard ID holders, 4 protesters climbed the gate and hung banners, one studying, “Harvard: you may’t be Zionist and Anti-Fascist.” Safety personnel and Cambridge Police Division officers monitored the state of affairs however didn’t intervene, in line with The Harvard Crimson.
Counterprotesters try and disrupt rally
All through the demonstration, counterprotesters tried to drown out the speeches utilizing three massive audio system blasting the US nationwide anthem and pre-recorded messages accusing the pro-Palestine activists of supporting terrorism. The sound system operator wore a black balaclava, and organizers on each side took measures to obscure their identities. Protesters distributed face masks and keffiyehs in defiance of a Trump administration request that Harvard ban masks at demonstrations—a request the college has not accepted.
The counterprotesters continued to comply with the march to Johnston Gate, carrying their sound tools on a cart. In response to The Harvard Crimson, protest chief Christopher F. Malley, a Ph.D. pupil in Center East Research, criticized each Harvard and its dealing with of school dismissals, saying, “I’m unsure who’s extra obnoxious, the counterprotesters, the Trump administration, or the Harvard administration.”
Protesters spotlight school dismissals and visa revocations
Malley additionally learn a press release supporting Historical past professors Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer, who have been lately dismissed from their roles on the Middle for Center Japanese Research. One other speaker, Hannah Didehbani, an MIT graduate and organizer with the Occasion for Socialism and Liberation, celebrated what she known as a victory for pro-Palestine organizing after the Trump administration reactivated hundreds of pupil visas, together with 12 held by Harvard associates. As famous by The Harvard Crimson, a New York Occasions evaluation reported no less than 1,500 pupil visas have been beforehand revoked as a consequence of pro-Palestine advocacy.
Closing messages and conclusion of the protest
The march concluded exterior the Harvard Kennedy College’s Taubman Corridor, the place protesters unfurled a banner itemizing the names of Palestinians killed in Gaza and chalked messages on the sidewalk. One message learn, “Harvard funds scholasticide,” criticizing the college’s alleged function in suppressing educational freedom, in line with The Harvard Crimson. The protest concluded with out arrests or confrontations, although tensions between opposing teams remained excessive all through the night.