Harvard students on school's handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations
Published Date: 4/26/2024
Source: MassLive
From The AP: Harvard senior from Pakistan Asmer Safi expressed his disappointment towards the school and its handling of Pro-Palestinian demonstrations. "On a human level, it feels incredibly disappointing. I think this has been probably one of the worst times that the Muslim, the Arab community, the South Asian community has seen in terms of repression of their voices… and how felt and heard they felt on this campus," said Asmer Safi, a Harvard student from Pakistan. "It's been very disruptive on an emotional level, when it comes to like seeing your identities being used as cards for diversity…But the moment that we actually require a level of safety and level of comfort and a level of promise when it comes to being able to have our voices heard, we have that immediately and absolutely compromise and no protection given to us," he added. Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing number of U.S. college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University. Trying to stay ahead of protests, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, locked most gates into its famous Harvard Yard ahead of classes Monday and limited access to those with school identification. The school also posted signs warning against setting up tents or tables on campus without permission. Those efforts didn’t stop protesters from setting up a camp with 14 tents Wednesday, which came after a rally against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee. The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself. Harvard University is choosing not to take immediate action against protesters who had set up tents, even though they were openly defying campus rules. AP video by Rodrique Ngowi