By Illinois Review
On Thursday, hundreds of students and faculty at Northwestern University set up a Gaza Solidarity Encampment – and accused Israel of committing war crimes, as a giant Palestinian flag was seen waving on Deering Lawn – a popular gathering spot on campus.
In a statement released by the Student Liberation Union, they accused Israel of committing “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide,” writing,
“The ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide of the people of Gaza has made Palestinians victims of what is one of the most brutal war crimes in modern history. Because of this, Northwestern students, faculty, and staff are putting their bodies, education, and jobs on the line to stand with the Palestinian people.”
A wave of pro-Palastentian protests are taking over college campuses across the country, and Northwestern is the latest to join in. Earlier on Thursday, local police arrived to break up the encampment, but students and faculty formed a human chain by linking arms – blocking the police from removing all of the tents. University President Michael Schill sent a letter that said tents were in violation of a new campus policy and that they would be removed. However, by late afternoon, many tents were still up.
In a post going viral on social media, a campus protester is seen wearing a pro-Hamas sweatshirt. Just five miles from campus in Skokie, is the Illinois Holocaust Museum – the second largest holocaust museum in the United States.
An anti-Israel rally to protect the encampment is taking place this evening at 8:00 pm, and organizers are urging attendees to bring bricks to hold down the tents.
No arrests have been made, and non-student media are barred from covering the day’s protests.
