The Massachusetts Institute of Technology suspended several students on Thursday, Nov. 7, as Israel-Hamas war protests continue breaking out on campuses across the United States, leaving administrators struggling to respond.
Sally Kornbluth, MIT’s president, issued a statement calling pro-Palestinian protests “disruptive” as they took place in Lobby 7 of the campus and drew counterprotests. Following many students’ refusal to leave the building by the deadline set by Kornbluth, she announced that students would be “suspended from non-academic activities” in a campus-wide announcement.
“We have informed all protesters that they must leave the lobby area within a set time, or they would be subject to suspension,” Kornbluth wrote. “Many chose to leave, and I appreciate their cooperation. Some did not.”
This follows with the continued tensions that have risen and spread throughout campuses in the country. Last week, Brandeis University, an institution also in Massachusetts, banned a pro-Palestinian group; meanwhile, over two dozen Brown University students were arrested due to protesting.
The response from MIT and its administrators has drawn criticism from both sides of the conflict.
“Our love and fight for the people of Gaza will not be swayed by the administration’s fear tactics,” said Mohamed Mohamed, MIT-wide Coalition for Palestine organizer, in a statement. “We possess something more potent—a just cause and the collective voices of thousands in the MIT community.”
Meanwhile, MIT Israel Alliance said in a statement that the university did not go far enough with the suspensions. The statement called for academic suspensions for the students involved in the pro-Palestine protests.
Columbia University on Friday, Nov. 10, announced the suspension of student groups Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine, citing violation of campus policies after the groups conducted an unauthorized event on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Meanwhile, university officials have continued to cope with the demands of students, donors and academic expectations since the attacks on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7; additionally, they have contended with the ensuing discourse sweeping the nation, including a rise of Islamophobic and antisemitic harassment on campuses.
This increased harassment has led the Biden administration to lend federal resources to college campuses to curb the increase of hate speech and threats on campuses across the nation.
Outside of college campuses last week, several pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrations took place across the nation, including a “March for Israel,” which reportedly drew tens of thousands to the National Mall in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, fuel and electricity have been limited in the Palestinian territory of Gaza where Israeli airstrikes continue to take place.
