Gaza: After Columbia, Yale takes over – Occupies for Palestine and dozens of arrests

More than 40 students were arrested Monday at Yale University, according to a statement from the school. The students were protesting in solidarity with Palestine calling for an end to the university’s funding of arms companies amid Israel’s war on Gaza.

By setting up tents on campus (“Gaza solidarity camp”), Yale students responded to the suppression of the protests at Columbia, where the police a few days ago arrested 100 students who had proceeded to occupy and also set up tents on campus.

According to a statement from Yale, the 47 students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary measures, possibly even expulsion from the university.

“The university made the decision to arrest the trespassers with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities to all members of our community,” university leadership said in a statement. .

We have knowingly put ourselves at risk because we can no longer be complicit with Columbia and its administration by funneling our tuition to corporations that profit from death

Until 10 am (local time), those protesters had been released and regrouped with others at College and Grove streets, where New Haven police blocked traffic, police spokesman Christian Brookhart told The Washington Post. He added that most, if not all, of the protesters appeared to be university students.

The scenes at Columbia were revisited – The courses were taught remotely

The actions of the Columbia-centered students in recent days spark a new wave of protests at US universities that have been at the center of the Palestine solidarity movement since the start of the Gaza war.

Threats of student expulsions and arrests don’t seem to be stopping the wave of protests, as despite the crackdown, protests are back at Columbia, with the university canceling live classes and moving to remote learning until “order and calm” are restored. » at the institution.

The students spoke of yet another victory and demanded that the demonstrations be extended in order to stop the slaughter in Gaza.

Backlash at Columbia has peaked in the last week with “Gaza solidarity camps” calling for an end to Israel’s continued military action but also “Columbia’s continued financial investment in companies that benefit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine”.

The university responded by announcing that it had suspended the student status of the “rioters” and then called in the police to arrest them. Among those arrested was the daughter of Ilhan Omar, deputy of the Democrats.

The accusations of anti-Semitism and the students’ response

The decision to intervene by the police was made after Republicans accused the Columbia administration of “fostering anti-Semitism.” The president of the institution, Nemat Minouche Shafik, said that “some students used anti-Semitic language”.

A rabbi associated with the university called on Jewish students to leave the campus due to the rise of “extreme anti-Semitism and anarchy”, citing “hate speech” and “incitement to violence”.

Biden himself addressed anti-Semitism on college campuses in a lengthy Easter greeting issued by the White House. He did not name Columbia or Yale but referred to harassment and calls for violence against Jews in recent days.”

With our tuition fees you are financing death

In a statement, the students rejected the accusations of anti-Semitism, noting that their complaint about the state of Israel does not amount to an accusation against the Jews, while they announced that despite the sanctions they will continue their mobilization because they cannot be complicit in the genocide of Gaza and their tuition to finance those who gain from death.

“We were abused by the media, arrested by the police, kicked out by the university. We have knowingly put ourselves at risk because we can no longer be complicit with Columbia and its administration by funneling our tuition to corporations that profit from death.

We are united by our love for Justice and demand that our voices be heard against the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.

Images of children crying over the bodies of their dead parents, images of families begging for food, images of doctors operating without anesthesia, horrify us every day.

We strongly reject any form of hatred or intolerance and are vigilant against outsiders who attempt to disrupt the solidarity forged here among students, Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs, Jews, Blacks and pro-Palestinian colleagues who represent the diversity of our country,” the students’ statement said. .