Gaza protests ramp up at Chicago universities
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Students gather to show support for the people of Gaza on the campus of Northwestern University. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Pro-Palestinian protests are heating up on college campuses across the Chicago area amid a nationwide student-led movement against the war in Gaza.
The big picture: U.S. colleges have been flashpoints for pro-Palestinian protests since the Israel-Hamas war began last October, write Axios' Sareen Habeshian, Rebecca Falconer and Jacob Knutson.
- It has stirred debates about free speech as officials raise concern about increasing reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses — prompting the Education Department to launch investigations.
Driving the news: Dozens of Northwestern University students, educators and activists set up an encampment Thursday to show support for Palestinians in Gaza. Many disassembled and reassembled tents throughout the day as university police instructed protesters to take them down, the Daily Northwestern reported.
- More than 2,000 people have signed on to a resolution calling on Northwestern to protect students engaging in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and also divest from companies and partnerships "that support Israeli apartheid."
- Several Chicago universities have rallies planned for Friday.
Zoom out: Local protests follow the arrests of demonstrators at schools including Columbia University, the University of Texas in Austin, and the University of Southern California since last week.
What they're saying: "Northwestern students report the administration is curtailing free speech. The school is intimidating both students and educators who speak out against Israeli apartheid and occupation," educator and student activist groups asserted in a statement.
The other side: Northwestern spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso said in a statement that the Evanston encampment is "prohibited under university policies," warning that students who refuse to remove their tents "will be subject to arrest."
- "Northwestern is committed to the principles of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," the statement reads.
What's next: Pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia College, the School of the Art Institute, and Roosevelt are planning a march down Michigan Avenue on Friday, and groups at the University of Chicago are planning a rally on the Hyde Park campus.