UNITED STATES MAJOR ISSUES IN PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATIONS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES

Dismantling of demonstrator camps

On Wednesday, May 1, police forces were mobilized on several American university campuses, where recent arrests took place, coming after similar interventions in Los Angeles and New York, places of convergence of student mobilization against the conflict in Gaza which is agitating the country. At the University of Texas at Dallas, police dismantled a protester encampment and arrested at least 17 people for “criminal trespass,” according to information provided by the establishment.

Officials also reported that law enforcement apprehended several individuals at Fordham University in New York and evacuated an encampment established earlier in the day on campus. New York City police reported at a news conference that nearly 300 people were arrested at two university sites in the city.

During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the authorities used force to dislodge pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed up in a building at the prestigious Columbia University in Manhattan, the starting point of the student mobilization in favor of Gaza.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” Minouche Shafik, the university’s president, said Wednesday. She explained that the demonstrators were defending "an important cause", but that recent "destructive actions" carried out by "external students and activists" had led to the intervention of the police, also condemning the "anti-Semitic comments " held during these gatherings.

At Harvard, as well as at many other universities, protests broke out, accompanied by counter-protests, highlighting the differences within the student community and the growing complexity of managing confrontations. Anti-Semitic incidents, criticism of Israel and debates around support for the Palestinians fuel divisions on campus.

This polarization brings the Israeli-Palestinian question to the center of concerns, putting university leaders in a delicate position: they must in fact constantly arbitrate between the protection of freedom of expression and that of security, while maintaining good relations with donors, who represent a major source of funding for higher education institutions in the United States.

The delicate position of university presidents and the weight of donors

Particularly in the United States, university leaders face complex dilemmas. Their official statements are scrutinized not only by students and the media, but also by donors. Some benefactors have openly criticized university presidents for insufficiently firm stances towards the violence perpetrated

At the University of Pennsylvania, President Liz Magill was disavowed for having authorized the participation and expression of figures considered anti-Semitic, including Roger Waters, former frontman of the rock band Pink Floyd, at the Palestine Writes literature festival. This led to the resignation of several board members and sparked a series of protests among donors.

Harvard was also in the spotlight, following an open letter signed by numerous student organizations, published on social networks on the evening of October 7, accusing Israel of bearing responsibility for the ongoing violence. Outrage erupted over the initial silence of Harvard President Claudine Gay, who ultimately condemned the letter days later.

Influential figures such as former University President Lawrence Summers (who served as U.S. Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001 under Bill Clinton), as well as Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Mitt Romney (themselves former of Harvard) called for stronger measures against anti-Semitism, highlighting the risk of endangering Jewish students. Harvard has also lost the support of certain major donors, including the Wexner Foundation.

Given the economic model of large American research universities, essentially dependent on income from their capital (endowment) and patronage, donors exercise increasing influence.

The challenge of reconciling academic freedom and donor expectations spares no institution.

A challenge as the presidential election approaches

As the US presidential election approaches, it is worth taking a close look at how the Trump and Biden campaigns are responding to the ongoing student protests.

The White House condemned this Wednesday, May 1, a “small percentage of students who cause disorder.” “Students have the right to go to class and feel safe,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, spokesperson for the executive.

Biden similarly condemned “anti-Semitic protests” and “those who don’t understand what’s happening with the Palestinians.” Trump called the recent protests “anti-Semitic” and “much worse” than the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. Su Fox Nerws, the banner on the screen mentioned “anti-Israel” demonstrators. On the air, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's shadow advisor, asserted that "this is all because of Joe Biden. He and his party are fanning the embers of anti-Semitism."

In the United States, pro-Palestinian mobilization on campuses is becoming an issue in the presidential election.