The sit-in protest started by students at Columbia University in the USA in the garden of the campus to protest the financial investments made by companies supporting the genocide in Gaza has spread to many universities across the country. While there has been harsh intervention by security forces on some campuses, more than 100 students have been detained so far.
THE PROTESTS SPREAD TO GEORGETOWN AND GEORGE Washington UNIVERSITIES.
Students studying at Georgetown and George Washington universities in the capital Washington also participated in the “reaction to Israel’s attacks on Gaza” protests that spread to university campuses across the country in the USA. Some students at Georgetown and George Washington universities, two of the leading universities in the USA, started to gather in the gardens of their campuses in the morning.
Hundreds of students gathered in the large garden in the middle of the main campus of Georgetown University and chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Immediate ceasefire in Gaza”. Some students set up tents in areas where the police gave limited permission.
The students, who showed their reaction to the Israeli attacks in Gaza with the banners they held in their hands, then began to walk en masse towards the George Washington University (GW) campus. Hundreds of students gathered in the garden of the main campus of George Washington University, one of the largest universities in the capital, and expressed their support for Gaza by chanting slogans.
GW security officers took security measures in the surrounding area and informed the student representatives that they could demonstrate on campus between 07.00 in the morning and 19.00 in the evening and that demonstrations would not be allowed outside these hours. It is expected that the number of students preparing to set up tents in the garden will increase and the protests will continue for a while, as in other university campuses.
CALL FOR RESIGNATION AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WHERE THE DEMONSTRATIONS STARTED
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia University, which pioneered the spread of university protests in the country.
Johnson described the demonstrations in support of Palestine on campus as “hate and antisemitism” and called for Rector Nemat Minouche Shafik to resign if he cannot end the protests.
Arguing that President Joe Biden should use his authority to activate the National Guard if the protests on campus could not be controlled, Johnson’s speech was frequently interrupted by the booing of students.
Jewish students at Columbia University denied Johnson’s words and argued that the pro-Palestinian protests did not pose an antisemitic threat.
HARD INTERVENTION TO STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Security forces intervened harshly against the students of the University of Texas in the USA who held a demonstration in support of Palestine. About 200 students participating in the anti-Israel demonstration gathered at the university’s Austin campus. While the police initially detained 17 people, who they claimed were leading the group, and later a total of 34 people, a fight broke out between the security forces, including the cavalry units, and the students.
The students, who continued their protest by sitting in the university garden despite the police’s warnings to “disperse”, were surrounded by security forces. Texas Governor Greg Abbott noted in his post on social media platform X that protesters will continue to be detained until the crowd disperses.
“The place for these protesters is in prison. Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas, period. Students who participate in hateful, anti-Semitic protests at any university in Texas should be expelled,” Abbott said. he said.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
A group of students from the University of Maryland, half an hour away from the capital Washington, USA, started protesting in the garden of the university campus in response to Israel’s attacks in Gaza.
The group, which was attended by more than a hundred students and included students from different religions and ethnic backgrounds, chanted slogans for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
At the University of Southern California, one of the leading universities in the USA, the police did not allow students to set up tents in certain areas of the campus.
The police warned the demonstrators to disperse and detained a group of students who were still protesting during the day. Police then closed the university’s main campus to the public.
Los Angeles police, who gave the students 10 minutes to disperse, detained 93 students who continued the demonstration on the charge of “organizing an unauthorized demonstration”.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
Students at the University of California Berkeley in the USA set up a “solidarity camp” on the university campus, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the university administration cutting off relations with companies that support Israel.
On the other hand, the University Spokesperson said that the university has no plans to change its investment policies.
PITTSBURGH AND BROWN UNIVERSITIES
Students at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA called on the university administration to cut off financial relations with individuals and institutions that finance Israel.
Sam Weiner, who organized the demonstration, said that they would continue the demonstrations until the university administration met their demands.
Approximately 80 students from Brown University in the USA camped on campus and demanded that the university stop cooperating with Israel-related companies.
