Journalist Marvi Sirmed weighs in on the student-led pro-Palestine protests taking place on campuses across the US despite repression and police brutality. These peaceful protests began via a Gaza solidarity encampment by Columbia University students on one of the campus lawns, to which the administration responded with severe restrictions. Hundreds of students have been arrested and dozens suspended by now. The protesters refuse to withdraw till their respective universities divest from Israel, the US state halts military assistance to Israel and takes action for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Sections of the GOP have also falsely termed the pro-Palestine protests anti-semitic to conflate criticism of Israel with Judaism, despite a significant presence of Jewish activists in the encampments.