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More than 40 pro-Palestine student protesters marched through Harvard Yard to demand the University divest from human rights abuses as part of a walkout staged by Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine on Thursday.
The protest began with a rally in front of the John Harvard Statue, with students braving cold temperatures and downpours. The students then circled University Hall, the main administrative building of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
“You hear that? That rhythm of the rain, that pitter-patter — it’s the same rhythm that’s gonna guide the Palestinians to liberation,” said Kojo Acheampong ’26, a pro-Palestine organizer.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 told HOOP earlier this year that he would not consider a proposal that called on the University to divest from companies that “directly facilitate or enable severe violations of human rights,” but protesters said they were committed to continuing their advocacy for Palestine.
Prince A. Williams ’25, a prominent pro-Palestine student activist, told the crowd that “we have to work for the Palestinian people.”
“We look to them in the heart of the moment. When we feel like there is no movement, when we feel like things are slowing down, we have to remind ourselves of that political commitment,” Williams said.
The protest comes amid controversy regarding the University’s decision to sanction students who participated in library “study-ins,” silent library demonstrations supporting Palestine.
Pro-Palestine advocacy groups like HOOP, which organized the 20-day encampment earlier this year, have staged protests on campus since Garber dismissed their divestment proposal. In an Oct. 3 email to HOOP representatives, Garber wrote that “Harvard will not use its endowment funds to endorse a contested view on a complex issue that deeply divides our community.”
The walkout also follows the decision of University President Alan M. Garber ’76 to reject a HOOP proposal that would direct the Harvard Corporation to review its investments for ties to human rights violations.
Alexandra D. Potter, a pro-Palestine organizer and Harvard Divinity School student, compared Garber’s decision to Harvard’s stance regarding conflicts in the past.
“It is crucial that we use our voices and our actions to show this university that we will not remain complicit,” Potter said.
During the rally, protesters repeatedly chanted, “Harvard University, we know what side you’re on. Remember South Africa, remember Vietnam.”
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Williams, the first speaker at the walkout, said the election of Donald Trump as president and his cabinet appointees signal “that again, imperialism is taking its mask off.”
“Trump’s appointment for Secretary of Defense, his appointment for ambassador to the UN, the ambassador to Israel — they’re not sugar coating what they’re trying to do,” Williams said. “To the ambassador of Israel, there’s no such thing as a Palestinian.”
Potter criticized Garber and the University for not taking a strong stance against the war in Gaza.
“They label genocide as a contested issue on this campus,” Potter said. “Standing against genocide should not be labeled as controversial.”
Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in an emailed statement on Thursday that Garber’s stance on divestment remains the same.
“The University has made its position on divestment clear,” Newton wrote.
After the speeches, the protesters marched around University Hall, chanting, “Hey, Harvard, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”
Gidon Ben Rivka — who is Jewish and frequently attends pro-Palestine protests — stood steps away from the crowd, recording the rally with his phone and a GoPro body camera.
Ben Rivka said he wanted to attend the rally to document the chants and speeches of the protesters.
“It’s important that this stuff is documented, so that people who couldn’t be here today — people who are working, people in class — can understand exactly how antisemitic and anti-Israel these organizations are,” Ben Rivka said.
HOOP wrote in a statement that they “call for the full liberation of Palestine — from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea — because, for decades, Israel has stolen Palestinian land, life, and livelihood through occupation, apartheid, and genocide.”
“We are astounded by those who continue to claim antisemitism in response to our calls for Palestinian liberation,” HOOP added.
After the protest ended, the activists gathered in the Adams House dining hall for hot tea. Protesters said they would discuss activism at Harvard, divestment, and the implications of Trump’s presidency on the Israel-Hamas war.
Potter, the Divinity School student, said students at the University had a particular responsibility to advocate on behalf of Palestine.
“We must eat, sleep, and breathe divestment because of institutions like Harvard and the U.S. who eat, sleep, and breathe genocide,” Potter said.
—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.
—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.
