Political protest and the university

ALTHOUGH the war in Gaza has not ended, it has already had far-reaching effects on American universities. Following Hamas’ atrocious attacks on civilians, most campuses were initially sympathetic towards Israel. But as time passed and images from the war piled up, many young people began to protest what they saw as an excessive civilian death toll in Gaza. Campuses grew deeply divided as pro-Palestinian students demanded divestment from companies working with Israel, and as pro-Israel students argued that a hostile environment was threatening their safety and pursuit of an education.

University presidents and governing boards have struggled to find the right response, and many top administrators have resigned, including at my own university, following congressional hearings on the issue this spring. According to Harvard’s new president, the university will no longer issue official statements about public matters unless they directly threaten academic freedom or affect the institution’s core functions of teaching and research. Is this the right answer?

The policy is new, but the problem is not. Things were even worse during the Vietnam War. While this year’s tent encampments and protests over the Gaza war have often violated Harvard’s longstanding statement of rights and responsibilities regarding the time, place, and manner of protests, the current protests have been relatively tame compared with the 1960s.