Pro-Palestine Demonstrations Break Out on College Campuses

Pro-Palestine protests erupted across the country over the past week.

The protests began after more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested at Columbia last week. The school has now adopted a hybrid schedule that will allow students to take exams virtually.

Meanwhile, other encampments have popped up at schools in Texas, New York, and California where college officials continue to battle with free expression and safety on college campuses.

Pro-Palestinian students are demanding the schools condemn Israel’s assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. On the other side, some Jewish students say they have experienced antisemitism and do not feel safe.

The Pasadena City Council adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire last month after pro-Palestinian supporters showed up at several meetings calling on the Council for support.

The declaration incorporated portions of a draft resolution and a draft declaration, one by Councilmember Jess Rivas and one by Mayor Victor Gordo, respectively. Both call for a ceasefire, and the release of all hostages, condemn war, and urge peace.

“I think this language makes clear we are pursuing peace and we are asking our federal legislators and president to work towards a peaceful resolution in the Middle East,” Gordo said after the resolution passed.

The declaration was sent to the City’s congressional representatives.

The resolution is symbolic as the City has no say in foreign affairs.

According to City News Service, at the University of Southern California hundreds of pro-Palestinian students and their supporters began an “occupation” of USC’s Alumni Park today and issued a list of demands — including university divestment from organizations that “profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine” — and the gathering got briefly chaotic when campus security tried to confiscate items from protesters.

Organizers of the USC occupation — identifying themselves as the USC Divest from Death Coalition — issued a statement saying the action is “in solidarity with the people of Palestine as they resist genocide and continue in their struggle for liberation.”

“The occupation is also in resistance to attempts by USC and other universities to suppress the student movement for Palestine on its campuses, in resistance to the silencing of students that criticize the state of Israel, in resistance to the university administrators and Boards of Trustees who profit off the genocide of Palestinians.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reacted to the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests calling for protesters to “safely” make their voices heard. Buttigieg also highlighted the importance of distinguishing between peaceful protests and harassment, according to CNN.

“It is important when people are exercising those rights to free speech, to protest, to assembly, that they do so safely,” Buttigieg said on Fox News Wednesday afternoon. “We have to make a distinction between what is legitimate free speech, inquiry, protest, debate, ferociously contested ideas. That’s one thing. And of course, also a recognition of the pain that is driving so much of the passion around the issues in the Middle East.”

Buttigieg also condemned antisemitism or threats of physical violence or harm against Jewish students.

“Any expression of antisemitism or hatred is unconscionable, it must be called out, it must be confronted. And that’s certainly what President Biden has done in unambiguous terms,” Buttigieg said, continuing: “Especially disturbing is the idea that a student would be targeted and harassed simply because they are Jewish, or simply because they look Jewish.”

By noon, the USC Department of Public Safety officers have moved into that pro-Palestine occupation at the campus’ Alumni Park. A USC DPS captain told KNX News that officers were working to remove prohibited items from the park, including megaphones and tents. Students in the encampment responded by grabbing their tents and marching around the park to prevent officers from removing them.