One thing that people need to understand about these encampment protests, if they don’t already know it, is that they aren’t just about Israel. If you listen to what the protesters say or read the signs they hold up, they make that clear. There are many signs and chants against “occupation,” “colonization,” and “liberation.” When they’re talking about that, many of them aren’t just talking about Israel, but they’re also talking about the United States as well.
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So keep that in mind as we look at what the protesters did at Harvard on Saturday evening. This says so much about the people behind this effort to anyone who’s truly looking.
They actually raised three Palestinian flags on the University Hall right over the statue of John Harvard and over the encampment they have been occupying since Wednesday as they chanted, “Down, down with occupation. Up, up with liberation.” The area is a place where the American flag is generally flown. It was not there at the time because they usually raise it Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and take it down for the evening.
This protester action might have been too much, even for a liberal Harvard administration. The flags only lasted about an hour.
Approximately one hour after three keffiyeh-clad individuals raised the flags, the Ivy League university’s staff removed them despite jeering from protesters who were chanting “Shame!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” According to Harvard University spokesman Jonathan L. Swain,raising flags is “a violation of University policy and the individuals involved will be subjected to disciplinary action.”
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An hour before Dean of Students Tom Dunne had warned them the encampment was a violation of the rules and could result in disciplinary actions
“Let me be clear: Maintaining and participating in this extensive encampment of tents in Harvard Yard constitutes an ongoing violation of University rules by interfering with the normal activities and operations of our campus and disrupting the work of fellow students and other Harvard community members,” said the email.
“Those participating in the ongoing encampment and associated activities will face disciplinary consequences as outlined in existing policies. Repeated or sustained violations will be subjected to increased sanctions.”
They have also asked for the IDs and cell numbers of the students involved in the encampment, likely to make sure they are actually students and not outsiders, but also so the administration will have a record of who is there and they can take action, assuming they choose to do so.
Will they? I wouldn’t bet money on it. Some of these people face graduation shortly. It would be a powerful hold over their heads if this affected their commencement for breaking the rules here. But it does sound like they may be moving toward some kind of action with the warnings.
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Related:
U of Florida Shows How to Deal With Encampment Protests—Featuring Consequences
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