The Gaza warwhich has exposed USA like the last bastion pro-Israel in the world, as manifested last week with his solitary veto of the recognition of Palestinian state, is being moved in the last few hours to university campuses across the country. The universities of Columbia, NYU (in NY), he M.I.T. of Bostonthat of Yale in Connecticut wave of Berkeley in California and even that of Michigan They are staging loud protests pro-Palestinian in which, above all, a change of course is requested in the politics of Washington toward Israel.
But the claims also have a university aspectand thus ask their respective centers to cut collaboration with Israeli universities or for the rectorates to renounce receiving financing from companies that participate in one way or another in the war.
At least 150 people were arrested on Monday night during the protests that have taken place on the campuses of the New York University amid an increase in demonstrations calling for an end to the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police, Kaz Daughtry, has indicated on the social network
“The professionalism and composure that our agents showed when clearing the square, despite the dangerous acts of aggression, are worthy of praise,” he indicated, adding that the protesters They threw bottles and chairs at the agents.
A spokesperson for New York University, John Beckman has explained in a statement that the protests – in which people who were not university students also participated – were carried out “without prior notice” and “without the relevant authorization.”
“We witnessed behavior turbulent, disturbing and provocative that interfered with the safety of our community, and that has shown how quickly a demonstration can get out of control,” he added.
Others nine people were arrested this Tuesday morning on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesotalocated in Minneapolis, shortly after protesters attempted to camp around the Northrop Auditorium.
The arrests come just days after at least 100 people were detained during another wave of protests in the Columbia University, which has announced that classes at its main campus will be hybrid until the spring semester ends.
Several Republicans in the US House of Representatives have called for the resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik for failing to fulfill her responsibility to ensure a safe learning environment.
A student of Columbia said to EFE that the dismantling of the camp on Thursday night does not seem to have been of much use, since on Sunday its promoters set it up again, apparently with a greater number of tents and better organized; For example, they have appointed spokespersons and asked activists not to respond individually to the journalists. The case is different in the NYUwhere in its surroundings the atmosphere was completely normal, as he was able to verify EFE.
A spokesperson for Columbiacontacted by EFEpointed out that the president of the university Nemat Shafik this “focused on deescalating resentment on campus” and is working with all the university organizations, the city and even the state in this sense. The governor of the state of NY, Kathy Hochulthat since the beginning war in Gaza has multiplied the messages pro-Israelrepresents well the dilemma faced by his own Democratic Party in the face of these protests. Yesterday he appeared on the campus of Columbia and said he defended the right to free expressionbut then he stressed that “there are students who are afraid.”
He also said that “no student should be persecuted for their religious beliefs”, and in case there were any doubts about who he was referring to, he later posted on x some images in which she appeared reunited with Jewish students (recognizable by their kipa on their heads) inside the university. The ex-president donald trump He also intervened today in the debate, and as expected he blamed everything on the president Joe Biden: “What is happening in universities is a shame. It’s really Biden’s fault. “He has lost his mind, he has the wrong tone… it is a disaster (…) It is all Biden’s fault and everyone knows it,” he told the journalists shortly before entering the trial against him.
The newspaper The Wall Street Journal predicts today that the graduation ceremonies of many universities involved will be affected by the climate of instability, and the rectorates are already designing plans to guarantee “the safety of students and your own reputation”. Specifically, the University of Michigan (the state with the largest Arab population in USA) has not banned protests even during graduations, which begin on May 4, but has confined them to spaces where they will not mix with the families Let them come to celebrate that moment with the graduates.
(With EFE information)
