Pro-Palestine Student Voices Inside the Harvard Yard Encampment

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Frank S. Zhou 0:08
For the past six days, more than 100 hours and counting, dozens of pro-Palestine students and protesters have camped out overnight in Harvard Yard, calling on the university to divest from Israel's war in Gaza.

The demonstration has remained peaceful and unlike other colleges around the country, it appears that Harvard will not send in police to break up the encampment. But Harvard College has repeatedly threatened to impose disciplinary action on the students involved, and the protesters have refused to stand down. As of Tuesday morning, the encampment has grown to more than 50 tents stretching across Harvard Yard from the University's main administrative building on one end to a stone's throw from Harvard President Allen Garber's office on the other. But Harvard has said that it remains staunchly opposed to calls to divest from Israel and his national media has descended on campus in an attempt to cover the encampment. The university has locked down Harvard Hard to the public, so few reporters have been able to even get to the encampment — let alone talk to its members. But late last week, the Crimson's Ellie Cassidy and Julian Giordano did just that. In a new video from Harvard Yard, six student protesters at the encampment share why they're participating even under the threat of disciplinary consequences. Today on Newstalk perspectives from students inside the pro-Palestine encampment at Harvard, from Harvard Yard and Plympton Street. I'm Frank Zhou, this is Newstalk. Here's Ellie and Julian's reporting.

So it's a Friday afternoon, we're in front of University Hall, Harvard's main administrative building, just outside the cabinet. We're talking to one of the students who has been staying inside.

Mahmoud M. Al-Thabata 2:09
My name is Mahmoud Al-Thabata, I am a freshman at Harvard College and a Palestinian first-year. So I'm here today for my family and my siblings in Gaza and the rest of Palestine. With the ongoing genocide that is going on right now, Harvard is materially and morally complicit, and we demand disclosure and investment into its money aiding and abetting this ongoing genocide, occupation, and apartheid. Right now behind me you're seeing people chanting "free Palestine" and for Palestinian liberation. The moods are very high right now and the community is going extraordinary.

Frank S. Zhou 2:50
At the encampment, protesters stocked tents with sleeping bags and other supplies. Here's Phoebe Barr, a student protester and Harvard senior.

Phoebe G. Barr 2:58
We have a supply tent. We have a lot of tents where people are sharing I am I'm personally showing a tent with a couple of people that I didn't know that we've gotten to know each other pretty well. People are doing their homework, people are singing, people are painting signs. And people are playing music. It's just a really nice community vibe.

Frank S. Zhou 3:24
Each afternoon, practicing protesters sat down for afternoon prayer as nonpracticing students surrounded them with keffiyehs. Here's Harvard senior Abia Khan:

Abia S. Khan 3:33
It's beautiful. It really is. And as a Muslim like seeing this prayer space set up and seeing people praying and you know, some of the folks in the encampment like holding up keffiyehs to protect the identity and you know, make sure that people have that space to practice like, that just blows my mind.

Frank S. Zhou 3:50
Some nights, students slept in 30-degree weather through rain and bursts from the yard sprinkler system. Here's Rosie Couture, a sophomore protester"

Rosie P. Couture 3:58
It's been cold, it's been wet. It's been very emotionally difficult at times. It's also such an incredible community of people who care deeply about each other and who care deeply for Palestine and for Gaza. And we hold each other close and have a lot of love and respect. And we're really all united in our fight for a free Palestine and that's why we show up.

Frank S. Zhou 4:26
Here is Sarah Mae Broas, a graduate student protester:

Sarah Mae Broas 4:29
I'm a member of HGSU, Harvard Graduate Students Union, and I believe that what we're doing right here is protected by concerted activity.

Frank S. Zhou 4:39
Jewish leaders on campus have offered sharply divergent responses to the pro-Palestine encampment. Harvard Hillel President Nathan Gershengorn has urged the Center for Jewish Life to welcome Jewish students participating in the encampment, even as Harvard Chabad Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi has urged Harvard to quote "remove these Jew-haters and Hamas lovers" end quote. But Harvard sophomore Olivia G. Pasquarella, a protester at the encampment who also writes for The Crimson's magazine said she's seen an outpouring of support.

Olivia G. Pasquarella 5:07
I think that the vast majority of people at this university are in solidarity with us in in various ways. We've been receiving like floods of texts, like donations, food drops coming in.

Frank S. Zhou 5:20
Back to Mahmoud, who's also a member of The Crimson's editorial board:

Mahmoud M. Al-Thabata 5:24
The encampment is going strong. We're having such a powerful movement today. And this community is when it's built on love and collective liberation.

Frank S. Zhou 5:32
Phoebe, meanwhile, said it's important to focus not on Harvard. But on Gaza.

Phoebe G. Barr 5:37
The central story here is not students are creating encampments, the central story is not even students are facing repression, for creating encampments. The central story is that there is a genocide going on in Gaza. I hope that we can center our attention there, even as this very exciting and interesting and novel, and perhaps scary thing is happening here in the yard.

Frank S. Zhou 6:01
Here's Rosie:

Rosie P. Couture 6:03
You know, I think it's a small part of a global movement for free Palestine. It's not about any one encampment at any one school or any one elite institution. It's really part of a global movement. I see myself in the students here as doing our small part.

Frank S. Zhou 6:20
Sarah, the graduate student agreed.

Sarah Mae Broas 6:23
I think that we're just a drop in the bucket and drops add up to waves and oceans. And the more waves there are, the bigger difference we can make. And I'm just a small part in it. But I know that Harvard divesting is going to make a difference and Harvard must divest now.

Frank S. Zhou 6:48
Many thanks to Ellie and Julian for the reporting and tape gathering. This episode of news talk was hosted by Frank S. Zhou, reported and edited by Ellie P. Cassidy and Julian J. Giordano and produced by Frank S. Zhou. Our multimedia chairs are Julian J. Giordano and Addison Y. Liu. Our associate managing editors are Elias J. Schisgal and Claire Yuan. Our managing editor is Miles J. Herszenhorn. Our president is J. Sellers Hill. Music in this episode by Bea Wall-Feng. From 14 Plympton Street, this is Newstalk.