Amidst pro-Palestinian protests, Columbia University has suspended face-to-face classes and dozens of students have been arrested at Yale.
Demonstrations at both Harvard and Yale were planned in solidarity with students from Columbia, who set up an encampment last week, leading to the arrests of over 100 students.
The demonstration at Yale began at around 6:00am ET and some continue to protest despite the numerous arrests throughout the day. By 9:50am ET at least 47 students had been arrested.
The university said in a statement that police asked protesters to leave the main lawn of the university and remove their belongings. Arrests were made as students refused to leave the lawn.
“The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community,” the statement said.
Harvard has also decided to close their main lawn to the public in light of the recent demonstrations at Columbia. According to the Harvard Crimson, a sign was posted warning students against bringing in unauthorised equipment such as tents and tables, and those who wish to enter will be required to present their student ID.
The restrictions will remain in place until Friday afternoon as the school attempts to avoid alleged planned protests during the week.
The organisation, National Students for Justice in Palestine, put out a call to action in a recent Instagram post.
“The encampments transform mass mobilization into long-term sustained occupation, leveraging our tangible power as students to give our institutions no other option but to divest,” the post said.
The post also referenced the encampments at Yale, Columbia, Rutgers University and The New School, with promises that there will be more to come.
Hundreds of teachers at Columbia staged a mass walk-out in solidarity with the students who were arrested and suspended by the university during the pro-Palestinian encampment last week.
Photo: Columbia University, main campus by Momos is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.
