Students raised the Palestinian flag as part of the anti-Israel protests at Harvard University in America . Saturday’s protest was at the John Harvard statue, which is reserved for the US flag or the flags of visiting foreign countries. At the same time, the number of students arrested in pro-Palestinian protests across the United States has exceeded 900.
On April 18, 2024, the protest broke out when the police arrested more than 100 students who protested at Columbia University in New York. The students are protesting to demand an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In addition, protesters have demanded the divestment of university assets in companies linked to the Israeli military and an end to US military aid to Israel. The White House issued a plea on Sunday for the protests to remain peaceful. Clashes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators were reported in some places.
A video of three students raising the Palestinian flag over John Harvard’s statue went viral on the internet. The incident took place after 6:30 pm on Saturday. At the behest of the Harvard Police, the flag was removed, but the protest continued. Students chanted ‘Free Palestine’ slogans while removing the Palestinian flag. In addition to that, there are reports that a student tried to snatch the unfurled flag. The Harvard spokesperson responded that raising the flag is a violation of university rules and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action. The graduate students also said that the authorities threatened to withhold their graduation certificates. Police arrested more than 275 students on Saturday following protests at Northeastern University, Arizona State University, Indiana University and Washington University in St. Louis.
