Pro-Palestine organizers began an encampment in Harvard Yard on Wednesday to protest the Monday suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and demand the University divest from Israel’s war in Gaza.
The encampment marks the largest protest on Harvard’s campus since former University President Claudine Gay resigned in early January.
A smaller number of students set up about 13 tents, as hundreds more people rallied in support in front of the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard.
Starting on Sunday, the University restricted access to the Yard to only Harvard University ID holders in anticipation of pro-Palestine protests, and posted signs informing students that setting up tents or tables in the Yard without permission could subject them to disciplinary action.
The encampment is the latest in a string of widespread student demonstrations at campuses across the country. Students have been arrested for their participation in demonstrations at Yale, Columbia, and New York University. Nearby, at MIT, Emerson College, and Tufts University, students have set up encampments protesting the war in Gaza.
In a Monday interview, interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 declined to rule out using police in response to student protests, but said there would be a “very, very high bar” before their involvement. University officials have remained firmly in opposition to calls to boycott Israel.
Still, some students at the protests are prepared to be arrested, while another group is willing to face disciplinary action by the Harvard College Administrative Board, according to an organizer at the encampment.
The tents were set up as Harvard University Police Department officers watched, but they have not intervened thus far. The protest has remained peaceful so far.
Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement Wednesday evening that University administrators “are closely monitoring the situation and are prioritizing the safety and security of the campus community.”
HOOP Denies Chanting ‘Shame’ at Counter-Protesters — 7:34 p.m.
A spokesperson for Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine denied chanting “shame” at the men draped in Israeli flags.
“It is common practice at our protests to respond to rally speakers with ‘that’s right’ or ‘shame,’” a spokesperson wrote. “There was no engagement with counter protesters (which is a policy of our coalition).”
“Any attempt to portray protesters’ responses to rally speeches as an engagement with counter protesters is inaccurate and dishonest,” they added.
The Crimson previously reported that while there has been virtually no counter-protesters at Wednesday encampment, two men draped in Israeli flags briefly shouted “free the hostages” during speeches by pro-Palestine organizers. In response, some people in the crowd shouted “shame.”
Encampment Expands — 6:55 p.m.
Organizers have begun setting up eight tents in addition to the original 14 tents that were erected shortly after noon. With the additional tents, the encampment is spreading closer to Johnson Gate.
An organizer said that the tents will allow many more people to spend the night in the encampment. The tents were brought in by volunteers and donated by supporters.
Raging in Support of the Encampment — 6:41 p.m.
Videos of the protests circling on social media caught the attention of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Thomas B. Morello ’86, who encouraged the protesters in an X post Wednesday afternoon.
“Go Crimson! We did the same in 1986,” Morello posted. “Built shantytown in Harvard Yard to force university to divest from companies doing business with apartheid South Africa.”
In the late ’80s, Harvard significantly reduced its holdings in companies with ties to South Africa after sustained student activism demanding the University divest from institutions supporting apartheid — including erecting a shantytown and a symbolic ivory tower in the Yard.
In their manifesto, posted earlier today, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine cited the South Africa divestment protests as a model for their activism.
“We are part of a rich tradition of students who stood up to U.S. imperialism in Vietnam and Iraq, rallied against apartheid in South Africa, fought for Black liberation in the United States, and built national living wage campaigns on university campuses,” the group wrote. “We understand that all of our historic movements for freedom and justice are intertwined.”
University Is ‘Closely Monitoring’ Encampment — 6:10 p.m.
Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement Wednesday evening that “we are closely monitoring the situation and are prioritizing the safety and security of the campus community.”
Newton’s statement is the first formal communication from the University since the start of the encampment started roughly six hours ago.
Garber has not commented on the protest as of yet. Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra declined to comment as she walked past the protest, saying she was on the way to pick up her son.
PSC Solicits Drop-Off Donations — 6:05 p.m.
The PSC publicized a Google form via Instagram soliciting drop-off donations and materials including tents, food, water, blankets, and sleeping bags.
The form also asks if responders have any “skills” to contribute, such as art, performance, and political education.
Syd D. Sanders ’24 passed out white roses, donated by an unknown supporter, to protesters inside and outside the encampment. Some roses were attached to the tents.
Brief Downpour Interrupts Teach-In — 5:52 p.m.
A brief downpour interrupted the teach-in. Prince A. Williams ’25, an organizer with the African and African American Resistance Organization and a Crimson Editorial editor, told protestors to head into the encampment.
The teach-in has not resumed although an organizer said he believes it will continue at a later period depending on the rain.
Amid Protests, Students Celebrate Last Day of Classes — 5:47 p.m.
Though pro-Palestine activists have staged an encampment in Harvard Yard, a very different day is unfolding for students elsewhere on campus, who are celebrating the last day of spring semester classes.
“Obviously, certain gates are closed, which makes me go a different route,” Vikram M. Kolli ’27 said. “But the center of campus is always crowded, especially with tourists.”
Many students gathered on Malkin Athletic Center lawn to celebrate the last day of classes with food trucks and music, just down the street from where dozens of students remained camped out.
“I’m not too surprised it’s happened,” Liam H. De Monaco ’24, a student on the MAC lawn, said of the ongoing protests. Still, De Monaco added that his last day of classes has gone largely undisturbed.
Even amidst on-and-off rain, the MAC lawn carnival remained largely festive, as students took advantage of free food and music to toast the semester’s end.
“It’s been pretty good,” Miguel Tejada, assistant director of student programs for the College, said of turnout at the MAC lawn. The event started about two and a half hours after protests began in Harvard Yard.
“Folks coming in and out, just to enjoy themselves, just to enjoy this last day,” he added.
Teach-In Begins — 5:20 p.m.
Protesters are beginning a teach-in titled “A History of Student Protest,” taking place on the grass adjacent to the encampment. More than 30 students are gathered around the grass while organizers distribute paper copies of call and response chants and lyrics to protest songs.
Williams, an organizer with the African and African American Resistance Organization, led chants and songs using a microphone.
“How’s our morale?” he called, to responses of “It’s high, it’s high, and it’s our duty to maintain.”
History of Science lecturer Erik Baker, who has taught courses on the history of activism, also spoke at the teach-in.
Though the teach-in was originally scheduled for 3 p.m., it began a little after 5 p.m. Protesters have remained in the Yard for more than five hours.
Otto’s Pizza was donated around 2 p.m., according to protesters. It included toppings such as black olives and sliced mozzarella cheese.
Encampment Sees Little Pro-Israel Pushback — 5:13 p.m.
There are few counter-protesters at the encampment — a notable difference from rallies in the past, which drew at least a small group of pro-Israeli protesters.
The absence is likely due to the restrictions on entry to the Yard, which is limited only to Harvard University ID holders.
Earlier during the larger rally at noon, two men with Israeli flags draped around them stood with the crowd and shouted “free the hostages” during speeches. Protesters chanted back “shame.”
One counterprotester has remained on the scene almost five hours in, observing at a distance.
Nathan B. Gershengorn ’26, the president of Harvard Hillel, declined to comment. He remained observing the encampment from a distance.
Demonstration Settles Down — 4:42 p.m.
As the encampment has settled down, protesters are standing among the tents and conversing in groups. Students are freely ducking in and out under the ropes that typically fence off the grass in the Yard and now serve as a perimeter for the encampment.
HGSU Warns Student-Workers Not To Stop Work Amid Demonstration — 4:24 p.m.
In an email to members, United Auto Workers-Harvard Graduate Student Union warned that student-workers could face disciplinary action if they violated Article 34 of the HGSU contract, which forbids work stoppages.
“If you violate this clause of the contract, you may face work-related discipline,” the union wrote. “This doesn’t mean it will always happen, but they have the right to. The union also cannot, per this clause, encourage you to engage in any such actions.”
They added that student-workers suspected of violating the contract would be notified in writing by the University and are entitled to union support through the disciplinary process.
“Our union fully respects the right of our workers to dissent, protest, and fight to make this world a more just place for us all,” the union wrote in the email. “The union has, since October of last year, democratically decided through several votes to endorse ceasefire and divestment resolutions and the divestment petition that the encampment is currently protesting in support of.”
Students Pray at Harvard Yard Encampment — 4:24 p.m.
The protesters set up a makeshift prayer tent by holding up keffiyehs in a row so members of the group could pray without being seen. A man started filming the barricade but observed from a distance.
The students are praying Asr, the third Muslim prayer in a sequence of five daily prayers. It usually occurs between noon and sunset. An organizer said they held up the keffiyehs to protect students’ privacy.
Security Turns Away Tourists, Affiliates From Entering Harvard Yard — 4:22 p.m.
As pro-Palestine organizers mounted their encampment in Harvard Yard, Securitas guards limited entry only to Harvard University ID holders, turning away several visitors and at least one Harvard affiliate who forgot her ID.
A Securitas guard stationed at Widener Gate told The Crimson that he had stopped people from entering who were not Harvard affiliates, saying “no visitors, no other people.”
One protester said that their friend — who did not have a Harvard ID — was barred from entering to join the encampment.
The security restrictions have impacted Harvard affiliates as well. A junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows said she forgot her ID at home and was not allowed to enter the yard.
“I was going to show my Harvard official email or a photo of my ID but apparently today that’s not allowed,” she said, adding that the restrictions inconvenienced her commute to a meeting.
A Securitas employee at the gate instructed her to call HUPD if she wanted to enter without a physical ID.
“I don’t think this is fair on any member of the community that they deem to protect and respect,” the junior fellow said.
A tourist visiting the square — who was turned away from the yard — said he and his friends were “intimidated by the security guards.”
Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Releases Demands — 4:07 p.m.
In a post on Mondoweiss, a progressive Jewish news website, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine outlined their demands for Harvard to disclose and divest from any institutional or financial investments in “Israel, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the occupation of Palestine.”
They also called for the University to drop disciplinary action against student organizers “and commit to ending the weaponization of disciplinary policy,” following the suspension of the Palestine Solidarity Committee on Monday.
“In the past seven months, our protests against the intensifying genocidal campaign in Gaza have been met with repression, administrative targeting, willfully racist attacks (including from politicians and faculty members), and arbitrary policy changes designed to silence our voices,” the group wrote. “We will not be deterred. By launching this demonstration, we renew our commitment to protest Harvard’s moral, institutional, and financial complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts also denounced the suspension of the PSC in a Wednesday letter, accusing Harvard of unfairly targeting the PSC. Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana defended the decision on Tuesday and said the College enforces policy in a content-neutral manner.
Harvard has also repeatedly rejected calls for a boycott of Israeli institutions — something Garber repeated in a Monday interview.
In their statement, HOOP wrote that their demonstration, which mirrors pro-Palestine demonstrations sweeping the country, “is grounded in Palestinian values of sumoud — Arabic for steadfastness — and love for life.”
“The whole world is watching a genocide unfold before its eyes. We raise our voices to join the chorus of millions demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the occupation, and a free Palestine from the river to the sea,” they wrote.
Protesters Prepare for Rain, Wind — 3:55 p.m.
As forecasts suggest impending rain in Cambridge, protesters are reorganizing the encampment, condensing tents in front of the John Harvard statue.
Two tents nearly blew away as wind picked up in the Yard. “We gotta stake ’em,” one organizer yelled to the group.
Organizers have stocked large quantities of food and water as a small group of students prepare to stay the night in the encampment.
In an Instagram post, the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine wrote that the artists behind “Leaf Litter,” an installation in Harvard Yard for the Harvard Arts First Festival, took down their piece in solidarity with the protesters.
“THIS is what solidarity looks like,” the groups wrote. “Grateful for our comrades — no business as usual until DISCLOSURE + DIVESTMENT is met!”
Organizers Tell Protesters To Not Speak With Administrators — 3:33 p.m.
Organizers have instructed protesters not to talk to Harvard officials if approached. While the group must show their Harvard University ID cards if asked, they do not plan to engage with the University.
As a significant portion of the initial crowd dispersed, the protesters remaining in the encampment held a meeting for the coming day.
When an organizer asked how many protesters intended to stay the night in the encampment, which they have named the “Harvard Liberated Zone,” about 20 people raised their hands.
Netanyahu Releases Statement on Antisemitism at College Campuses — 2:35 p.m.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a two minute video on X comparing the situation at American college campuses to “German universities in the 1930s.”
Speaking in English, Netanyahu said that “antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities.”
“They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty,” he said. “This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s.”
“It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped,” he added.
Netanyahu attended MIT as an undergraduate, where he cross-registered to take classes at Harvard.
MIT affiliates are also currently staging an encampment to protest the war in Gaza. Harvard pro-Palestine protesters traveled to MIT on Friday to rally in solidarity with students in the encampment there.
Students Prepare for Disciplinary Action — 2:31 p.m.
According to a PSC organizer at the encampment, the pro-Palestine protesters are split into four different levels of risk involvement, with some — the “red team” willing to be arrested.
Another group, the “pink team,” is expecting to face disciplinary action from the Harvard College Administrative Board, the organizer said. A “yellow team” is in charge of coordinating virtually with the protesters and providing supplies, while the “green team” are volunteers taking on little to no risk of being arrested or facing College disciplinary action.
More than 100 protesters remain in the Yard.
Encampment Comes As Jewish Affiliates Celebrate Passover — 2:14 p.m.
The pro-Palestine encampment comes on the second day of Passover.
Harvard Hillel Campus Rabbi Getzel Davis observed the encampment with some students, but said he could not comment due to the holiday, during which observant Jews abstain from working or using technology.
Students Remain at ‘Harvard Liberated Zone’ — 2:11 p.m.
In an Instagram post around 2:07 p.m., the Palestine Solidarity Committee posted a schedule for what they called the “Harvard Liberated Zone,” including a teach-in on the history of student protests, an “art build,” and breaks for dinner and mental health.
The caption of the post read “DAY 1 SCHEDULE,” suggesting that students intend to stay in the Yard for multiple days.
More than 100 students remained cheering as protesters continued dancing around the encampment.
Harvard Medical School instructor Lara Z. Jirmanus, who is affiliated with Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, said no faculty are intending to sleep in the encampment overnight.
“I do believe there are faculty who are committed to staying late in support of the students,” she wrote to The Crimson.
Harvard Police Monitoring As Protesters Prepare to Stay Overnight — 1:49 p.m.
HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano, coming out of University Hall, told The Crimson that HUPD became aware of plans for protest on Wednesday morning and is currently “monitoring the situation.”
The Cambridge Police Department is not involved in the response to the protest, CPD spokesperson Robert Goulston wrote in an email. “We have not had a role, or any resources dedicated to maintaining the closure of Harvard Yard,” he wrote.
Several HUPD officers are stationed at the door of Massachusetts Hall, where interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 and other top administrators work.
According to a PSC organizer, the group stored encampment equipment in upperclassman Houses over the last three days before smuggling them into Harvard Yard to store in freshman dorms overnight. The equipment was then brought out into the Yard lawn as the protest began.
About 30 people are expected to sleep in the encampment overnight, an organizer estimated. Some organizers have also begun bringing camp toilets to the gathering.
The crowd surrounding the encampment, which numbered more than 500 at its peak, has largely dispersed. Those who remained began line dancing around the encampment while holding hands.
According to a Securitas officer stationed at the back door of University Hall, the Faculty Council — including Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoeskra — is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. in the Faculty Room for a regularly scheduled session.
The guard said he has so far not been informed that the meeting is canceled.
Demands, Chanting Ceases — 1:36 p.m.
“We’ll be here until divestment,” an organizer announced to the crowd, which has shrunk since the tents began going up in preparation for the encampment.
“We demand that Harvard University disclose any and all investments, both institutional and financial, in Israel and the ongoing genocide in Gaza and in the occupation of Palestine,” another organizer told the crowd. “We demand that the administration drop all charges against students for their organizing and activism and commit to ending the weaponization of their disciplinary policies.”
“We demand that Harvard divest from all of their investments in genocide and reinvest resources in Palestinian academic initiatives, communities, and culture,” they said.
The chanting then ceased as the group prepared to play a statement from the PSC on their suspension.
One organizer said that students raised $12,000 from alumni to fund the encampment.
Some faculty have also lined up to watch the protest, with some arriving in their Commencement robes and regalia.
History Prof. Walter Johnson Says ‘No Tense Communication’ Between Protesters and Police — 1:20 p.m.
Harvard History professor Walter Johnson, standing by Massachusetts Hall near other professors and HUPD officers, said there has been “no tense communication” between protesters and the police so far. He said he is acting as the police liaison on behalf of protesters.
The protest has been organized and nonviolent, Johnson said. An HUPD officer nearby laughed and agreed that communication has been smooth.
Johnson was a former faculty advisor for the PSC before resigning after the organization published a widely-condemned cartoon with an antisemitic image. Johnson also resigned from his position as a member of the Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.
Organizers were seen carrying sleeping bags and pillows into the encampment.
Encampment Starts Days After PSC Suspended — 1:14 p.m.
The encampment comes two days after Harvard College suspended the Palestine Solidarity Committee for violating college policies on hosting on-campus events with non-Harvard and unrecognized student groups.
In an email to the PSC, the College informed the group that if they failed to “cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term,” the group may be permanently expelled. The group had previously been put on probation last month.
“The organization will not be recognized and will not have access to university benefits and services during this time, including but not limited to use of campus space and appropriate use of the Harvard name,” the email said.
The PSC had held a protest last Friday in solidarity with protesters at Columbia University, who were removed by the NYPD last week.
Harvard Faculty for Justice in Palestine Speaks — 12:56 p.m.
Harvard professor Vijay Iyer, a member of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, called for the University to reinstate the PSC in a speech at the demonstration. FSJP posted on its Instagram condemning Harvard’s suspension of the PSC on Monday.
“We encourage the Harvard administration to refrain from any retaliation against the students,” Iyer said at the protest.
“We stand with the ACLU in standing with the Harvard PSC,” Iyer added. “We reject the university’s use of language and safety to stifle protest.” The Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU sent a letter to Harvard Wednesday calling on the University to reinstate the PSC and claiming the suspension would have a chilling effect on student speech.
Organizers have also begun to arrive on the scene with food, water, and other supplies for the encampment.
Encampment Begins — 12:49 p.m.
Protesters flooded into the Yard from various freshman dorms, cheering and carrying tent equipment. Multiple tents have already been erected on the patch of lawn in front of the John Harvard statue.
The encampment in Harvard Yard comes after similar protests at Columbia University, Yale University, MIT, and more across the country. At Columbia, Yale, and New York University, protesters have been arrested for their participation.
In a Monday interview with The Crimson, Garber said while he would not rule out police response to a protest like the one currently erupting in the Yard, it would require a “very high bar.”
Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana declined to comment in a Tuesday interview on whether he would support a potential call from Garber to resort to police response.
‘Time To March’ — 12:30 p.m.
An organizer announced to the now more than 500-person group that it was “time to march.”
Organizers with the Palestine Solidarity Committee — which was suspended by the University on Tuesday — have lined up along all pathways leading to University Hall.
Some other protesters gathered in the Yard with tents, tarps, and sleeping bags, which appear to have been stored overnight in freshman dormitories.
An organizer addressed the crowd, asking them to “break your silence.”
“Our administration has proven time and time again that it cares more about the whims of its donors than the safety of its students,” the organizer said. “It is unsurprising that Harvard, an institution that materially support Israel’s violence, has made yet another move to curb student protest of the Zionist state, even as that entity is an agent of genocide, apartheid, and settler colonialism.”
“We call on you to share our anger as a starting part to continue and constant mobilization,” they continued. “Now more than ever, when Harvard most wants for us to be silent, we have a duty to speak out louder than ever. Free free Palestine.”
According to an HUPD officer stationed on the scene, they have been instructed to keep students safe and allow protests to proceed unless they become violent or destructive.
Protesters Chant — 12:23 p.m.
Protesters engaged in a call and repeat of a portion of the PSC press release in response to Harvard College’s decision to suspend the organization. Previously, the group also chanted, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” and “Shut it down.”
Inside University Hall, the “committee on promotions and appointments” is meeting, per a sign taped to the back door of the building.
The crowd of protesters has also pulled out umbrellas against the rain.
Students Gather at John Harvard — 11:59 a.m.
Roughly 200 students, some donning yellow safety vests, have gathered at the John Harvard statue in preparation of the protest.
Several protesters are also carrying signs emblazoned with the logo of United Auto Workers — the parent union many graduate students and academic workers at Harvard are organized under.
Harvard University Police officers and vehicles have also established presence in the area, though they claim to be stationed for the Arts First Festival, which begins Wednesday. Access to University Hall, which houses administrative offices for the College and Faculty of Arts and Sciences, has been restricted, according to a security guard stationed by the entrance.
—Staff writers Michelle N. Amponsah, Sally E. Edwards, Rahem D. Hamid, Miles J. Herszenhorn, Matan H. Josephy, Joyce E. Kim, Azusa M. Lippit, Asher J. Montgomery, Tilly R. Robinson, Elias J. Schisgall, Neil H. Shah, and Claire Yuan contributed reporting.
