Pro-Palestinian protests are gaining momentum across US college campuses, mirroring the anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. In just one week, starting from April 18, over 400 arrests have been made at various universities including Columbia University in New York, Emerson College in Atlanta, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, and George Washington University in Washington DC.
The demonstrations have resulted in a demand from students for universities to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel. The movement has spread across campuses in California to Georgia, from Boston to Florida. Students are organizing encampments, sit-ins and demonstrations to raise awareness about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Atlanta, Noelle McAfee, chair of the philosophy department at Emory University was handcuffed and escorted off campus by an officer for supporting the protesters. Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota also showed her support by attending a protest at Columbia University. Her daughter Isra Hirsi was among the pro-Palestinian protesters who were cleared from the university by police last week.
The protests are ongoing at schools such as Columbia University, Harvard, New York University and UC Berkeley. As tensions rise between Israel and Palestine, these protests are likely to continue to spread across college campuses nationwide.
