Some Harvard students who were involved in the pro-Palestinian encampment are reporting that they are now facing consequences from the school just days after they agreed to end their protest.
Both student newspaper The Harvard Crimson and the Boston Globe reported Saturday that five undergraduate students were forced to withdraw from Harvard College and more than 20 students were placed on probation for their alleged involvement with the encampment at Harvard Yard. Additionally, at least 12 seniors are being prevented from graduating.
The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, which was the last in the Boston area to disband its encampment, shared a petition on social media on Saturday that is asking for signatures from undergraduate students to call on school leaders to let the impacted students graduate at Harvard’s commencement on Thursday.
The Globe obtained a news release from the student coalition that reads, “We entered into our agreement with the Harvard administration with the understanding that Harvard would follow precedent in these disciplinary board procedures… Interim President [Alan] Garber’s email to our liaisons clearly states that he will allow students to graduate,. The decisions from [Friday] renege on that agreement.”
According to the group, these punitive actions show “Harvard’s extraordinary commitment to the Palestine exception in matters of free speech, protest, and, now, discipline.”
Harvard government professor Steve Levitsky told the Globe that the punishments are “highly disproportionate” compared with Harvard’s precedents for handling student demonstrations.
“We should not be meting out this sort of punishment to students who have been students in good standing at Harvard throughout their time here and have completed all the requirements for graduation. This was a peaceful protest,” said Levitsky, who also told the Globe that it appears the disciplinary board for undergraduate students issued harsher consequences than peer boards at the university’s other schools.
The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a statement that the encampment “outlasted its utility with respect to our demands.”
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Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Harvard for comment but has not heard back yet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
