The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) was the scene of tension and arrests early on Friday morning as police entered a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. About a dozen demonstrators were arrested as officers gave a 15-minute warning for them to leave before taking action.
The move by police came after several protesters had been arrested the day before for blocking access to a parking garage on campus. The university had set a deadline for protesters to vacate the encampment or face suspension, leading to rising tensions among students.
Some students who defied the deadline received notices of suspension from the university, with consequences including being prohibited from academic activities, participation in commencement activities, and even employment by the university. This left some students, like first-year graduate student Prahlad Iyengar, facing uncertainty and potential housing and food insecurity.
M.I.T.’s president, Sally Kornbluth, has faced criticism in the past over her handling of campus antisemitism issues, with alumni calling for stronger actions to combat the problem. In a letter to the campus on Monday, Kornbluth stated that the prolonged use of M.I.T. property for protests without permission was no longer sustainable.
The situation at M.I.T. highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges universities face in balancing free speech rights with maintaining campus safety and order.
