The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) was suspended by the university on Monday after the group held an unauthorized protest against the school’s ties to Israel.
Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have erupted at Columbia University, Yale, Cal Poly Humboldt and New York University, with dozens of students and faculty being arrested for trespassing and engaging in unlawful behavior while protesting. The suspension was announced by the group on Instagram and reportedly was due to the group failing to register with the university for its protest in solidarity with Columbia University on April 17, according to the Harvard Crimson.
“You cannot suspend the movement,” the group wrote in its post.
The suspension is reportedly in place for the rest of the spring semester and requires the group to “cease all organizational activities” or risk expulsion, according to an email obtained by the Crimson.
“The organization will not be recognized and will not have access to university benefits and services during this time, including but not limited to use of campus space and appropriate use of the Harvard name,” the email reads. “If the organization continues to operate and commits additional violations during this suspension, the organization risks permanent expulsion, as provided in the Resource Guide.”
The school alleged that PSC had not officially received permission for the protest and also violated school rules regarding protests on campus, according to the Crimson. The group was also reportedly suspended in March; PSC argued in a statement to the Harvard Crimson that the suspension was just the result of “months of administrative repression, harassment and stalking by our own peers, and intimidation from right-wing politicians and donors.”
“After standing idly by as pro-Palestine students faced physical and cyber harassment, death threats and rape threats, and racist doxxing, Harvard has now decided to dismantle the only official student group dedicated to the task of representing the Palestinian cause,” the statement reads, according to the Crimson.
Columbia and Barnard College, an affiliate school, suspended dozens of students who were arrested during protests last week, according to Reuters. Yale also said they would be referring students who were arrested for discipline following the protests on Monday.
Harvard and SPC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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