Campus Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Protests: MIT, Arizona, Penn Students Cleared, Xavier Cancels Greenfield Speech

In recent weeks, pro-Palestinian encampments have been cleared from at least three college campuses, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Arizona, and the University of Pennsylvania. At MIT, police began clearing the encampment early Friday, following the university’s announcement of disciplinary consequences for students remaining after a deadline to leave. Similar actions occurred at the University of Arizona, where the university’s police department cleared an encampment from campus, using both loud and chemical munitions. Demonstrators at the University of Pennsylvania were also ordered to leave their encampment early Friday morning, with police dismantling tents and taking people into custody. Xavier University in Louisiana canceled UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s commencement speech due to student-led petitions over US policy supporting Israel in its conflict with Hamas. Additionally, the New School in New York City will not pursue criminal charges against student protesters following a pro-Palestinian demonstration that resulted in more than 40 arrests. At MIT, students blocking the entry to a garage were among those arrested. These incidents are part of a wave of protests and encampments on college campuses across the country in support of the Palestinian cause.