Pro-Palestinian college protests lose some steam in new academic year

The pro-Palestinian protests that roiled university life last year have been much quieter in the first few weeks of the fall semester, as a combination of activist turnover, fatigue and new rules turn down the volume on campus turbulence.  

While students have continued to hold protests, class walkouts, vigils for Gaza and other public demonstrations, none have come close to causing the level of disruption that led some colleges to move their classes online last spring. 

Aly Moosa, a pro-Palestinian organizer at Yale University, says the current strategy of those involved is more about building a lasting movement, compared to the last time around's urgent outcry.

“It was a deliberate and reactionary approach to showcase widespread solidarity amongst colleges, amongst initiatives, amongst organizations,” Moosa said about April’s encampments. “I think the last few months are reeling from the intensity of that and trying to hold on to those relationships to build more of a long-lasting and less of a reactionary approach to organizing.” 

“It’s different from how it was in March and April, which was much more, you know, 'go big, go home' approach, versus now ... we need to build a long haul, and we need to continue building on and passing this,” he added.  

By the end of last year, law enforcement arrested more than 2,000 students across hundreds of college campuses as encampments spread across this nation. This year, the only notable arrests were in New York, where police arrested two Columbia affiliates during a beginning-of-year protest.

And there is a new factor dividing the movement that wasn’t as prevalent in the spring: the presidential election.  

Adam Swart, expert and CEO of Crowds Demand, a group that specializes in helping movements organize protests, says there are two fractions that have emerged in the pro-Palestinian movement on campus: those who want Vice President Harris to win and those who don’t see any difference between her and former President Trump in terms of their policies towards Palestine.  

“There are a lot of activists who see anything that they do that is disruptive as being counterproductive, because it would hurt Harris's election chances,” Swart said. “A lot of them are putting that same energy that they were putting into the protests, into making calls, demonstrating, rallying for Harris, right? So I think that that's the reason why you're seeing a much, much smaller numbers than and less significant demonstrations than before.” 

“I've spoken to many, many in the Palestine community, and I want to be clear that they don't like Harris, they don't agree with her, but they see Trump and they see worse, and they're campaigning heavily for Harris because they believe that after the election they're going to, provided she wins, they're going to put a huge amount of pressure on her from her left flank to make concessions to the Palestine movement,” Swart added.   

Another huge difference, several sources said, is the response of the colleges themselves. Schools are taking a tougher approach, and while rules vary by university, many have prohibited any sort of encampments on school grounds. 

Colleges and universities also have restricted what time of days protests can occur, and some are requiring students to get approval from the administration before holding a demonstration.   

The week of the Oct. 7^th anniversary of Hamas's attack on Israel, many pro-Palestinian groups held a vigil on campuses for those killed Gaza in the war since. Others had educational instruction and readings at their universities' libraries, and some hosted speakers about the history of Palestine.  

Even those events caused some administrative backlash, with Harvard banning pro-Palestinian students from the library after a silent study-in, and the University of Maryland attempting to ban a vigil for Gaza until it was overruled by a federal judge. 

Risa Lieberwitz, professor of labor and employment law and president of the Cornell American Association of University Professors chapter, said requiring students to get permission before a protest is one of the most concerning aspects of the response.

“It creates a mechanism of surveillance over the protests, and that's going to have a chilling effect on the ability — particularly of those who have a minority position about an issue or are considered particularly controversial, those protesters will face a chilling effect on their protests in a way that those who are in a more majority position, let's say, would face, because they will be under surveillance when they have to register,” Lieberwitz said.  

Pro-Palestinian activists, meanwhile, have had trouble getting significant concessions on their demands, particularly on divestment from companies that are allegedly tied to the war in Gaza. 

Only a couple schools were able to reach a deal to get students to take down their encampments, with Brown University among those that promised a vote on divestment this fall in exchange for an end of the tents on campus. 

But when Brown held that vote earlier this month, it decided to reject divestment.

“I think what's happened is that they've lost momentum. I mean, the war has been going on now for a year. Other factors come into play. Other issues come up, the elections are going on. And I also think that they understand that they have failed to have any impact on U.S. policy, and that, basically, their rallies were a failure,” said Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. 

But others argue that while students are adjusting to the new situation around them as schools change the rules on them, activists are not deterred from their cause.  

“I don't think these students' resolve is broken. I think it's just a matter of new strategies, new tactics and ensuring that their voices are heard and that their schools continue to hear them and listen to them,” said Amr Shabaik, legal director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in California. “I don't think the resolve is broken. I think it's just a matter of, you know, regrouping, changing tactics, whatever that may be that's going to look different from different student movements, different student groups.”