More than 100 protesters gathered at Cambridge Common on April 19, 2024, for a demonstration accusing Harvard University of suppressing pro-Palestine speech and scholarship, even as it resists certain demands from the Trump administration. The protest was organized by several unrecognized student groups, including Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine and Jews 4 Palestine, and featured speeches, chants, and a brief march through Harvard Square.
The protesters argued that Harvard’s actions toward pro-Palestine advocacy were hypocritical, as the university simultaneously defies the Trump administration publicly while, according to protesters, aligning with its policies through internal repression. University officials did not respond to a request for comment following the rally, according to The Harvard Crimson.
Speakers link Harvard to Trump administration policies
Addressing the crowd amid loud counterprotester noise, Violet T.M. Barron ’26 claimed that Harvard’s financial ties to Israel demonstrated alignment with what she described as fascist elements in US politics. “Why has the ongoing presidential showdown between Donald Trump and Harvard President Alan Garber been framed as one between opposing forces?” she asked. “Harvard’s Zionism and Trump’s fascism are not at odds. They are two sides of the same coin,” as reported by The Harvard Crimson.
Following an hour of speeches and chanting, demonstrators marched from Cambridge Common to Johnston Gate. Although entry to Harvard Yard was restricted to Harvard ID holders, four protesters climbed the gate and hung banners, one reading, “Harvard: you can’t be Zionist and Anti-Fascist.” Security personnel and Cambridge Police Department officers monitored the situation but did not intervene, according to The Harvard Crimson.
Counterprotesters attempt to disrupt rally
Throughout the demonstration, counterprotesters tried to drown out the speeches using three large speakers blasting the US national anthem and pre-recorded messages accusing the pro-Palestine activists of supporting terrorism. The sound system operator wore a black balaclava, and organizers on both sides took measures to obscure their identities. Protesters distributed face masks and keffiyehs in defiance of a Trump administration request that Harvard ban masks at demonstrations—a request the university has not accepted.
The counterprotesters continued to follow the march to Johnston Gate, carrying their sound equipment on a cart. According to The Harvard Crimson, protest leader Christopher F. Malley, a Ph.D. student in Middle East Studies, criticized both Harvard and its handling of faculty dismissals, saying, “I’m not sure who’s more obnoxious, the counterprotesters, the Trump administration, or the Harvard administration.”
Protesters highlight faculty dismissals and visa revocations
Malley also read a statement supporting History professors Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer, who were recently dismissed from their roles at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Another speaker, Hannah Didehbani, an MIT graduate and organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, celebrated what she called a victory for pro-Palestine organizing after the Trump administration reactivated thousands of student visas, including 12 held by Harvard affiliates. As noted by The Harvard Crimson, a New York Times analysis reported at least 1,500 student visas were previously revoked due to pro-Palestine advocacy.
Final messages and conclusion of the protest
The march concluded outside the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Hall, where protesters unfurled a banner listing the names of Palestinians killed in Gaza and chalked messages on the sidewalk. One message read, “Harvard funds scholasticide,” criticizing the university’s alleged role in suppressing academic freedom, according to The Harvard Crimson. The protest concluded without arrests or confrontations, though tensions between opposing groups remained high throughout the evening.
