Harvard protesters exchange American flag for Palestinian flag as anti-Israel protests intensify across the country

usa news

by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon

As demonstrations on campus continued to spiral out of control, anti-Israel demonstrators at Harvard University hoisted a Palestinian flag where the American flag is normally placed at the Ivy League school.

Saturday’s shocking display comes as extremist students continue to occupy campus, with a video circulating online showing three students raising a Palestinian flag over the iconic John Harvard statue. It spread. — Where the Star-Spangled Banner is scheduled to fly.

The flag-raising incident occurred just after 6:30 p.m., and a total of three flags were flown on campus, the report said, according to the Harvard Crimson.

School spokesman Jonathan Swain condemned the incident as a “violation of university policy” and said “those involved will be subject to disciplinary action.”

However, the reaction from online users was even stronger.

“The sole aim of these pro-Hamas protesters is to eradicate all Western values ​​and all basic human rights while establishing an Islamic Sharia law regime,” said X user Mol Hoggeg. Posted on Sunday.

“They are starting with the Jews of Israel as their main objective and will continue throughout the West,” he wrote. “This is not a battle between Israel and Hamas. This battle is between a culture of life and a culture of death. Wake up!”

Another user called for armed intervention.

“This is where the National Guard needs to be called in,” Mark Isaacson wrote. “On the other hand, these young people do not have great role models because our representatives in parliament are waving Ukrainian flags.”

The Crimson reported that the American flag, which normally flies on the flagpole of Harvard University’s statue, is also flown when foreign dignitaries visit campus.

The newspaper said no U.S. flags were flying at the time of Saturday’s incident and said the Stars and Stripes are typically raised at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday and taken down at 4 p.m. “for proper storage.”

The raising of the Palestinian flag took place as anti-Israel students camped out in the schoolyard, chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “We will fight for Palestine” and cheering.

Similar scenes are playing out on college campuses across the country, including Columbia University in the Big Apple and other Ivy League universities.

The demonstrations were sparked by Israel’s response to an Oct. 7 surprise attack on the Jewish state by Hamas terrorists that left more than 1,000 Israelis dead.

Shortly after the flag was raised from the flagpole on Saturday, university officials pulled it down amid jeers from students, the Harvard Crimson reported.