Escalating campus protests come to a boil

Colleges across the country are barreling toward crisis as pro-Palestinian student protesters show no signs of relenting, posing growing risks to the schools and threatening to become a major election-year issue.  

The unrest, which could be coming to a head at Columbia University as demonstrators blow past a school-imposed Monday deadline, has already caused one college to cancel its main commencement ceremony and is causing a rift between liberals supportive of Israel and those who oppose its handling of the Hamas war.

Republicans, meanwhile, have been unrelenting in their criticism of the university administrators.

“Instead of cancelling graduation ceremonies out of fear of antisemitic disruptions, institutional leaders should grow a backbone and fight back against antisemitism on their campuses with decisive action and moral clarity,” House Education Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) told The Hill on Monday.

But pro-Palestinian protesters are not planning on going away any time soon and see graduation ceremonies as an opportunity to make their voices heard.  

“We have students here who are dedicated to stay here all throughout commencement and even beyond over the summer. We are dedicated to staying as long as it takes to achieve divestment for Israel,” said Amira Pierotti, a student at Wesleyan University, told The Hill.

The University of Southern California (USC) is so far the only school that has dropped its main graduation ceremony due to unrest on campus. USC was already taking heat over its decision to drop the traditional speech from the class valedictorian, who this year is a pro-Palestinian supporter.

And fears of interruptions during graduations are not unfounded as protesters say it is prime time for getting more faces to see their demands.

From the Wesleyan’s “Palestinian Solidarity Camp,” which is in the field beside where commencement will take place, Pierotti said the celebration of graduation cannot move forward without acknowledging what is happening in Gaza.

“We are going to make sure that we will be visible, and that Wesleyan cannot continue with business as usual without physically and viscerally remembering the genocide which we are profiting from and contributing to,” they said.  

Columbia, where the encampment protests began and which so far intends to move forward with its commencement, on Monday told students they had to disperse from the camp by 2 p.m. and sign a document pledging to obey university rules on their way out or they would be suspended from the school. It also mentioned how it will adjust its protesting rules after commencement takes place.

“Exams are beginning and thousands of your peers are due to graduate. These are among the most significant aspects of students’ academic programs. Many of this year’s graduates were deprived of a graduation celebration from high school because of the pandemic. For many of their families, this will be the first time anyone in their family has completed college and received a degree,” the university said. 

“We urge you to remove the encampment so that we do not deprive your fellow students, their families and friends of this momentous occasion. The University will offer an alternative venue for demonstrations after the exam period and commencement have concluded,” the document read.  

That 2 p.m. deadline has now come and gone, with the encampment still in place.

Republicans have been united in their support of Israel and opposition to the student protests, but Democrats are divided amid growing controversy over Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza.  

On Monday, a group of more than 20 Democratic House members sent a letter to Columbia University urging the administrators to end the encampment.  

“We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,” the Democrats wrote. 

“As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” they added. 

Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.), however, are among those who defended the demonstrators and accused the schools of violating the protesters’ rights.  

“I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand. Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza,” Omar, whose daughter was among those arrested in New York, said after visiting with the activists. “I’m in awe of their bravery and courage.” 

Democrats acknowledge the issue divides their party, but say they are still united in their opposition to Republicans and their standard-bearer, former President Trump.  

“What I will say to those who may have some disagreements with those who are in Democratic Party, they should be reminded that the disagreements we may appear to have on the surface do not compare to the disagreements we have with the other side beneath the surface,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic political strategist and founder and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC.  “And I think that’s an important perspective for those who are out there protesting and those who are using their right to express themselves. I think it’s important for them to have context about this.”  

But students may not see it the same way, seeing the option between Trump and President Biden as a nonstarter and potentially opting out of the election entirely.

“I know many people who are choosing simply to not vote because they cannot vote for either of these men who have and likely will commit atrocities against the people of Gaza,” Pierotti said.  

And they predict the ongoing protests around the country will have a political impact lasting beyond November.

“I’ve had conversations with many students for whom this has been an eye-opening revelation for how the Democratic Party and the U.S. politics at large play into systems of oppression and work towards American military dominance across the globe. So, I do not see a reality in which these protests do not impact American politics and the upcoming years,” Pierotti said.