Students across the country are occupying college campuses with encampments opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
College students in New England and nationwide have remained resilient in their protests against the war in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian encampments have popped up across campus lawns at MIT, Harvard University and other Boston area colleges.
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These students are standing in solidarity with their peers from Columbia University in New York. Not only are they calling for peace, but they're demanding the university divest from Israel and do more to protect Jewish students.
At Harvard, students took over the lawns at Harvard Yard Wednesday. The area had been closed off and currently security is checking IDs before letting students through - an unusual move as the area is usually open to anyone walking through the area.
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Video posted by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee shows a large group descending on the area at once, moving quickly to set up tents and establish their encampment.
These demonstrations have been criticized by some as being antisemitic. One student who spoke with NBC10 Boston explained why she didn't consider that the case.
"Students are not for antisemitism whatsoever. I think they truly are just for human peace," said Kaysia Harrington, a junior at Harvard. "I don't think calling for a ceasefire is antisemitic whatsoever. I think that some of the very, very radical chants are very concerning, and I don’t think those are appropriate or have room for the movement here."
"As of right now, it's not threatening," said Jewish student Rebecca Hirschfeld, who says the camp should be removed if it becomes violent or disruptive. "It's been very calm, I haven't heard anything that makes me feel unsafe. We'll have to see what comes."
"We are closely monitoring the situation and are prioritizing the safety and security of the campus community," a Harvard spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Tents were also still standing on MIT's campus Wednesday morning. These students say this encampment will remain until university officials meet their demands.
Those demands are like the encampments at Emerson College and Columbia University. They want their schools to stop accepting funding from groups that directly or indirectly fund the war in Gaza.
Overnight at Columbia, a school spokesperson says progress is being made, with student protestors committing to removing several of the tents and ensuring only students will be participating in the encampment.
The dispersal deadline has been extended to 8 a.m. and conversations there between the protesters and school officials are expected to continue for the next 48 hours.
Back at MIT, a coalition of student groups, including Jewish students, continue to push for progress on their goals, while some faculty are speaking out against them.
"I think that we're all here because there are over 34,000 Palestinians dead, over half of them are children and we feel that we want to speak out about that, but also to talk about MIT's complicity in the genocide of through our relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and funding relationships specifically," said Gabriella Martini, MIT Scientists Against Genocide.
"I think that this group is vocal but it's essentially representing a very extreme and small group of Jewish people that lost their way," said MIT Professor Retsef Levi, MIT Israel Alliance.
MIT police were on site and watching closely for any disturbances.
Yet another encampment has popped up at Brown University in Rhode Island, reports NBC10 in Providence. Around 90 students were observed Wednesday morning setting up in the main green area of campus. The university warned that the camp is in violation of university policy.
“Encampment on Brown University’s historic and residential greens is a violation of University policy, and all of the students participating have been informed they will face conduct proceedings,” the university said in a statement.
"We're ready to face that. There's no business as usual during genocide," Rafi Ash, a sophomore at Brown, told the station.
Others pushed back on the encampments, saying that these demonstrations disrupt campus life and raise antisemitism concerns.
Brown is one of many colleges warning students that they could face consequences for these encampments. Back in Boston at Emerson, the school warned that the tents blocking Boylston Place Alley are in violation of city ordinances, and action could be taken outside of the school's control.
"Of additional concern, Emerson has received credible reports that some protestors are engaging in targeted harassment and intimidation of Jewish supporters of Israel and students, staff, faculty, and neighbors seeking to pass through the alley. This type of behavior is unacceptable on our campus," school officials said in a statement.
