Anti-Israel activists groups defied Harvard University warnings that their protest encampment must dissolve under threat of suspension, proclaiming the campus occupation movement a “student intifada” in a press conference on Monday.
The Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine’s (HOOP) press statement, which declared that “the student intifada is here to stay at Harvard,” came in response to both a statement by the administration about the 13-day encampment and a protest coalition deadline the administration set to negotiate the implementation of their demands.
“The student intifada has engulfed the entire country,” said an encampment spokeswoman. “It is changing the conversation, expanding the realm of possibilities. If these universities only care about their assets, then the student movement will become a liability.”
As dozens of campuses across the country continued to face occupation and aggressive protest by activists in a bid to force the adoption of anti-Israel policies since the original April 17 Columbia University tent settlement, the HOOP spokesperson warned that if administrations did not submit, “Campuses will become ungovernable.”
The student activist warned that if the administration did not submit to their demands, they would impose a cost on the university. She said that her movement had faced intimidation and abuse, and that the administration had left them few options in pursuit of their objectives.
“Make no mistake, whatever happens next will be the result of the choices that Harvard has made,” said the spokeswoman.
Interim Harvard president addresses issue
Interim Harvard University president Alan Garber said on Monday that while the institution respected freedom of speech and protest, “it is not unlimited,” and called for the end of the encampment.
“The encampment favors the voices of a few over the rights of many who have experienced disruption in how they learn and work at a critical time of the semester,” said Garber. “We continue to hear reports of students whose ability to sleep, study, and move freely about the campus has been disrupted by the actions of the protesters.”
Garber said that there had been increasing reports of harassment of other students. Harvard staff had been encircled and shouted down when attempting to enforce identification policies, and people walking by have been “confronted, surveilled, and followed.”
The encampment had been expanded to the graduation commencement speech lawn on Saturday, and Garber warned that repercussions for protests would become more consequential as the event approached. He said that it was unfair that students were unable to celebrate their graduation.
“The continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment of the University,” said Garber.
“Those who participate in or perpetuate its continuation will be referred for involuntary leave from their Schools. Among other implications, students placed on involuntary leave may not be able to sit for exams, may not continue to reside in Harvard housing, and must cease to be present on campus until reinstated,” he noted.
The Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee, which was suspended from the campus on April 22, said on Instagram Monday that hundreds faced suspension.
Anti-Israel groups increased the urgent tone of their demands as the IDF took military action against the Hamas stronghold of Rafah.