There have been pro-Palestinian demonstrations at numerous US universities for days – in some places with violence and arrests. New York’s Columbia University wants to negotiate and is relying on talks instead of evacuating the camp.
In the USA, the protests by pro-Palestinian demonstrators at numerous universities continue for the time being. New York’s renowned Columbia University postponed the evacuation deadline for the tent camp – it was originally scheduled for midnight (local time, Friday 6 a.m. CEST).
The office of university president Minouche Shafik said talks between university management and protest participants had made progress and would continue as planned. “We have our demands, they have theirs,” it continued.
Civil Rights Complaint against Columbia University
There were dozens of arrests at New York University last week after the university reportedly called police to break up the protest. The management denies this, saying they did not ask for the work on campus: “This rumor is false,” they said.
Jewish students described the protests as threatening and anti-Semitic. Israel supporters also pointed to anti-Semitic incidents at the protests and accused universities of promoting intimidation and hate speech.
The pro-Palestinian US group Palestine Legal announced on Thursday that it had filed a civil rights complaint against Columbia University. The organization, which works to protect the rights of people in the United States who support the Palestinians, called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the school’s actions. They see the demonstrators being discriminated against.
USC cancels graduation ceremony event
The protests began at Columbia University with calls for the university to divest from companies that have ties to Israel. In recent days, pro-Palestinian protests have spread to other elite US universities.
University of Southern California protesters clash with university public safety officers. (Image from April 24, 2024)
In Los Angeles, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles (USC) canceled a planned major event at the traditional graduation ceremony because of the protests. The university announced that an event planned for May on the main stage, at which 65,000 people were expected, would not take place due to special safety precautions, the university announced. Other events for this year’s USC graduates are still planned.
USC had already canceled the so-called Commencement Speech – a final speech with which university graduates are released into the future. The speech should have been given by a pro-Palestinian graduate.
Also arrests at USC, Texas and Boston
Recently, there have been increased confrontations between the police and students during the nationwide protests. On Wednesday, more than 90 protesters were arrested for trespassing at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
In Austin, Texas, police announced the arrest of more than 30 people. At Emerson College in Boston, local media reported that classes were canceled on Thursday after clashes between police and protesters. Accordingly, a pro-Palestinian tent camp was evacuated and more than a hundred protest participants were arrested.
Students sit on the grounds of the University of Texas at Austin and paint posters. Arrests were made here too. (Image from 04/25/24)
Trump compares protests to deadly 2017 demonstration
The protests are causing discussions in the USA. Former US President Donald Trump also spoke up. He condemned the pro-Palestinian protests – and compared them to a deadly demonstration by right-wing extremists in the city of Charlottesville in 2017.
The extent of the “hate” now is significantly worse than in Charlottesville, Trump said on Thursday. Charlottesville was “nothing in comparison – and the hate was not the kind of hate we have here.”
At a right-wing extremist demonstration in Charlottesville in 2017, a neo-Nazi drove his car into a group of counter-demonstrators. One woman was killed and 19 other people were injured. The march of neo-Nazis and other racists in Charlottesville made headlines around the world – also because Trump, then US President, equated the behavior of right-wing extremists and counter-demonstrators and spoke of “violence on many sides”. At the time, this brought him massive criticism even from within his own ranks.
The White House called Trump’s statements “repugnant and divisive.” The “anti-Semitic poison” of Charlottesville should not be downplayed in such a way, said spokesman Andrew Bates.