Israel-Hamas war: Palestinian flag at Harvard as anti-Israel protest: 10 points

Posted on by

Pro-Palestine protests began at Columbia University more than a week ago

Pro-Palestinian protests continued on college campuses in the US as authorities arrested about 275 people over the weekend. The protests, which began more than a week ago at New York’s Columbia University, have spread rapidly.

Here are the top 10 points on pro-Palestine protests in the US

  1. Protesters at Harvard University raised the Palestinian flag over the Ivy League school, a spot usually reserved for the American flag. He also hoisted a giant Palestinian flag from the top floor window of the Washington Hilton Hotel, venue of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

  2. Pro-Palestinian protests at US universities sparked by Israel’s war against Hamas spread over the weekend as police crackdowns and arrests continued for another week.

  3. Police arrested around 275 people from four different premises. These include 100 at Northeastern University in Boston, 80 at Washington University in St. Louis, 72 at Arizona State University and 23 at Indiana University.

  4. Clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters were reported at UCLA, where a tent camp was set up last week.

  5. Nationwide protests have drawn the attention of President Joe Biden and the White House has said demonstrations should remain peaceful.

  6. Campus activists are demanding a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas and want colleges to sever ties with the country and companies that profit from the conflict in Gaza.

  7. The protests pose a major challenge for university administrators who are trying to balance free speech commitments with complaints that the rallies have degenerated into anti-Semitism and hate speech.

  8. Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday and “reiterated our clear position” on a possible offensive on the Gaza border city of Rafah.

  9. The Israel–Hamas war broke out after Hamas activists launched unprecedented attacks on Israeli cities on 7 October, killing about 1,170 people. They also took about 250 people hostage.

  10. Israeli counter-attacks have since killed more than 34,00 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.