Student Protesters Raise Palestinian Flags at Harvard (+Video)

A group of protesters unfurled the flags over the iconic John Harvard statue in the Yard, a space typically reserved for the American flag or those of visiting foreign dignitaries. Harvard University Police officers were alerted and initiated steps to remove the flags as of 6:34 p.m., contacting Harvard Yard Operations.

During the flag removal, demonstrators voiced their discontent with chants of "Shame!" and slogans such as "Free, free Palestine" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." The flags were taken down by a campus services staff member accompanied by two HUPD officers, amid the vocal protests of the demonstrators.

Following the incident, protesters willing to have their Harvard University IDs documented gathered inside the encampment, while others showed solidarity outside the designated area. Chants reverberated, with protesters declaring, "Harvard, Harvard take my ID. You can’t really scare me."

Subsequent to the flag-raising and removal, a vigil was held to honor Palestinians killed in the Israeli genocidal war. Participants sat silently around the John Harvard statue, marking a solemn moment amidst the ongoing tension.

Administrators, equipped with ID scanners, took action, noting down the identification numbers of encampment participants and issuing warnings of potential disciplinary repercussions, including the withholding of degrees for graduating seniors. This threat looms just weeks ahead of Harvard’s commencement ceremonies, with some protesters among those slated to graduate in May.

Since Thursday, administrators have been conducting daily ID checks on protesters, intensifying scrutiny on the encampment. Upon the departure of administrative personnel, protesters convened for a group meeting within the encampment grounds.

Lara Jirmanus, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, expressed dismay over pervasive anti-Palestinian sentiment, emphasizing the educational significance of the encampment. Jirmanus lamented the focus on silencing the protest rather than addressing complicity in "Israel’s genocide," highlighting the demonstrators' role in holding power accountable.

“The students camping in the Yard are engaged in one of the most profoundly educational events in their generation,” Jirmanus asserted. “They teach us how to hold power to account when our institutions and our democracy has failed to enact the will of the US and the global public: to ensure that Palestinians have the same access to life with dignity that all human beings deserve.”