Columbia University sent a strong message to Israel as students started staying awake at night inside small tents in the spacious lawn of their university and chanting Pro-Palestine slogans in early April 2024. They condemned the ongoing Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip. By the third week of April, the Anti-Israel protests staged by the students spread to campuses of other US universities in Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, North Carolina and Washington DC. Attempts have also been made to disperse the Students’ Movement by citing various reasons, such as university rules, security, etc. The US Police detained more than 900 students in the last 10 days. However, the concerned authorities have failed to crush the movement. In fact, the Students’ Movement has spread to Canada, France and other European countries.

Students’ Movements in American universities have a long history. Whether it was the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Apartheid Movement or the Anti-War Movement, university students were always at the forefront. By observing the demands of the students, one can understand that the ongoing Anti-Israel Movement is the continuation of that legacy. Their demands are quite specific: The US universities must sever ties with any organisation associated with perpetuating Israel’s military occupation in Gaza and other parts of Palestine, Funding by the Israeli Government or agencies for carrying out research works related to the Jewish Nation’s military assistance must be stopped, and it should be clearly mentioned in which sector money is coming from Israel to the US universities. These demands are another form of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel.

Such a movement is taking place in higher educational institutions mainly because of active participation of students, teachers, university staff and common people. So far, the university authorities have not yet accepted these demands. Instead, they are trying to forcefully crush the movement (with the help of the Police).

After five and a half decades, students of Columbia University occupied the Hamilton Hall again (in April 2024)! This building witnessed a number of Students’ Movements in the past, as Hamilton Hall has long been associated with Student Politics. In 1968, students of Columbia University had occupied the Hall to stage protests against the Vietnam War. The Hamilton Hall witnessed the Anti-War Movement in 1972 and Anti-Apartheid Protests in 1985 when students wanted the US Government to snap ties with various South African organisations. This time, they have only one demand – the US should take all the necessary steps to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza immediately!

The Students’ Movement and the backlash that followed have revealed the aggressive nature of Power. These events also help one to realise how Power (or the Ruler) wants to hegemonize society and the social institutions, especially educational institutions. It is because the existing Power Structure is well aware of the fact that universities have always nurtured Freedom of Expression, Intellect and the true Spirit of Protests. American students and their teachers have always made a serious attempt to establish Democracy and Human Rights by organising movements inside university campuses. Their movements have also sensitised the common people. American students are once again trying to raise public awareness about the colonial and imperialist mindset of the Israelis.

Meanwhile, the Anti-War Movement has also rocked Tel Aviv. After the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, an organisation, called Change Generation, was created in the Jewish State. The protesters recently took to the streets in the Israeli capital city under the leadership of Change Generation. They demanded the release of Israeli prisoners from Hamas hideouts in Gaza and the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu from power. Interestingly, the Anti-Netanyahu Movement is also going on in Europe and the US.

However, Prime Minister Netanyahu is steadfast in his position even in the face of protests in home and abroad. He has made it clear that the war shall not be over until Gaza, as well as the Palestinian Hamas Movement, is crushed.

Well, apart from support by the die-hard Zionists, quite a few of the countrymen of Netanyahu are seething with anger, due to the stubborn attitude of him.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das