Pro-Palestine protests disrupt graduations at some US varsities; camps mushroom in Europe, Australia campuses

US

On a day when a host of colleges and universities were set to hold commencement ceremonies, small pro-Palestinian protests were seen during the proceedings.

At the University of California, Berkeley, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators began waving flags, held signs reading ‘Divest’ and chanting during commencement and were escorted to the back of the stadium, where they were joined by others, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to New York Times, a group of students staked out a section of empty stadium seats behind the main stage, chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the occupation has got to go” and “UC divest”. Soon, the crowd swelled to about 500.

Dozens of students walked out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony as some chanted ‘free Palestine’ to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, for supporting Israel throughout the war in Gaza https://t.co/ZmqwbYpPwa pic.twitter.com/VAwbSm3GqN

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 12, 2024

Dozens of graduating students at Virginia Commonwealth University walked out on an address by Governor Glenn Youngkin, while a small group of demonstrators staged what appeared to be a silent protest during commencement at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators splattered red paint on the steps of a building hours ahead of the University of North Carolina’s commencement ceremony and chanted on campus, the News and Observer reported.

At the University of Texas, Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag during a commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage before being escorted away by security.

The day was peaceful compared to Friday, when dozens were arrested as encampments were dismantled at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On the same day, police tear-gassed demonstrators and took down a similar camp at the University of Arizona.

https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=450,253 450w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=600,338 600w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=768,432 768w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=720,405 720w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...e=1536,864 1536w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ize=150,83 150w" width="1600"> Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through campus after police dismantled their encampment earlier in the day at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. (Reuters)

The Associated Press has recorded at least 75 instances since April 18 in which arrests were made at US campus protests. Nearly 2,900 people have been arrested at 57 colleges and universities. The figures are based on AP reporting and statements from schools and law enforcement agencies.

Canada

Protestors set up pro-Palestine encampments in front of the University of Winnipeg’s downtown campus, even as a dozen tents remained in the schools’s front lawn.

“Students all over the world have been a starter of so many revolutions. At this point, we believe that our fellow students outside of University of Winnipeg, outside of Manitoba, all over the US are doing so, and we are here as a support,” Christine Quiah, one of the organisers of the encampment, told CBC News.

Palestinian flags, a sign reading “Faculty 4 Palestine” and placards with demands of the protesters — including cutting “all academic and economic ties with Israeli institutions” — were on display at the encampment.

Meanwhile, the encampment remains in place at the University of Toronto as agitators claim the administration has been unwilling to discuss core demands. At the McGill university in Montreal, the authorities have sought a court injunction, demanding that the camp be dismantled.

Last week, students at the University of Manitoba started a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on its south Winnipeg campus.

UK

The tone at the protest encampments on UK campuses is a tad different from the violent confrontations at US campuses. No police officers in sight, students protest peacefully at the Cambridge University. Over 300 academic staff at Cambridge back the protests and have signed a public letter in solidarity.

At Oxford University, around 50 tents pitched on a prominent green lawn outside the Pitt Rivers Museum. Amid reading, talking, hold a vigil to commemorate the deaths in Gaza, the chant of ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ is heard briefly, New York Times reported.

In a statement, Oxford said it respects the “right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests,” adding, “We ask everyone who is taking part to do so with respect, courtesy and empathy.”

Pro-Palestinian encampments have spread to 15 universities across Britain in recent days.

Bil rouh, Bil dam, Nafdika ya Falasteen


Day 7 of the @LoCNewcastle student encampment going strong!!! #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/JoUXApqcEe

— Haaris Aytishaam Mahmood ‘Squishi’ Qureshi BSc MA (@imaginewizard) May 7, 2024

Europe

In Netherlands, 33 people were arrested at the University of Amsterdam last week, in a second day of pro-Palestine protests. A Reuters video showed officers in riot gear striking protesters and police knocking down makeshift barricades. 30 miles away at the Utrecht University, students occupied a building in protest.

In Belgium, dozens of students occupied Ghent University in a three-day protest, while protests took hold of campuses in Spain’s Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona and Basque Country, The Guardian reported. An encampment of 200 students was launched last week at Madrid’s Complutense University.

In Finland, dozens of protesters from the Students for Palestine solidarity group set up camp outside the main building at the University of Helsinki, saying they would stay there until the university, Finland’s largest academic institution, cuts academic ties with Israeli universities. In Denmark, students set up a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Copenhagen.

Australia

University of Sydney, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide and Melbourne’s Monash University saw encampments mushrooming in their premises, news.com.au reported.

With inputs from agencies