Student protests that began to demand an end to attacks on Gaza in Palestine are spreading across the country. After the United States, students in at least 12 other countries have protested with the same demand. New protests have started in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Mexico. Students say protests are underway at US universities to protest Israeli aggression in Palestine. They started the movement to show solidarity with it.
Students of New York’s Columbia University started a protest on April 17 by pitching a tent on the campus. Later this protest spread to other universities of the country. According to US media, around 140 universities and colleges in the United States are protesting.
After that, protests started in various universities in France, UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, India and Lebanon. The protesters are demanding an end to attacks on Gaza, as well as the university’s ties to organizations that have ties to Israel and supply weapons.
Meanwhile, students are being arrested in the United States to suppress the protests. More than half a hundred students have been detained from two more university campuses on Saturday local time. About 2,300 students of the country were arrested in this ongoing protest.
READ MORE : Police suppress student protests in the United States
New protests in four countries
Local time Friday, students protested outside the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, demanding an end to the war in Gaza. However, the police reached the spot and tried to disperse the protest. According to the police, they pitched tents in other places and called for protests. But when the protesters refused, the police forcibly removed several protesters. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner criticized the protests. “This city (Berlin) doesn’t want to see things like the US or France,” he said in a post on X.
Students of Lausanne University in Switzerland are also protesting. Hundreds of students have been occupying the gate of a building of the university since Thursday. Protesters are calling for Israel to be excluded from any education-related activities and for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Meanwhile, students of Trinity College of the University of Dublin in Ireland started a sit-in on Friday. These students have said that the sit-in program is to show solidarity with the protests that students in different countries, including the United States, are pitching tents on the campus.
Students of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have been protesting since Thursday by pitching a tent on the campus. UNAM is the largest university in Mexico. The students who took part in the protest chanted slogans like ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. They are also demanding to sever all ties between Mexico and Israel.
Seizures continue in the United States
University of Virginia students protesting by pitching tents on the campus were dispersed by the police. At least 25 students were arrested by the police. The university authorities called the police to the campus on Saturday to disperse the protesters. Police in riot gear forcibly removed the protesters.
According to a press release issued by the university, the protesters violated several university policies. Meanwhile, they pitched a tent on the campus on Friday night. However, the protesting students criticized the university authorities for bringing the police to the campus and forcibly removing them.
Meanwhile, police detained dozens of protesters from the Art Institute of Chicago on Saturday. University officials asked them to disperse the protesters, Chicago police said. They then went to the campus and removed the protestors.
Demonstration at graduation ceremony
A group of vocal students protested in front of the stage during the graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan in the United States, demanding an end to attacks on Gaza. Although the protest was peaceful, the police immediately removed them. However, the police did not arrest anyone in this incident.
The graduation ceremony of the University of Michigan was held at Michigan Stadium last Saturday. In videos circulating on social media, dozens of students walked across the stage wearing traditional keffayas (the black-and-white scarf Palestinians wear) and graduation caps. They were carrying placards demanding an end to attacks on Gaza and the Palestinian flag. At this time, the students in the audience encouraged the protestors. However, the police quickly surrounded the protesters and took them to the back of the stadium.
Amid ongoing student protests, graduation season has begun at US universities. However, in such a situation, many universities have canceled or postponed the graduation ceremony. Some universities have also decided to organize events in between. However, the protesting students have announced a boycott of the graduation ceremony.
READ MORE : The students are threatened to boycott the graduation ceremony if they do not comply with the demands
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS