Student protesters at MIT move from encampments to the streets after orders to back down
The protests continued Monday at MIT, moving from the encampments on campus to the streets.
Student protesters shut down Mass Ave for four hours, chanting support for Palestine, while police had to divert traffic away from this busy stretch in Cambridge.
BREAKING: pro-Palestine protestors at @MIT have broken down barricades surrounding their encampment to re-enter the space - now creating a human shield around their tents. The university president ordered them to clear out by 2:30pm today or else they face suspension pic.twitter.com/49vKkftNhZ
— Litsa Pappas (@LitsaPappas) May 6, 2024
“Everything has remained very peaceful, so what happens next is not in our hands, it’s in the hands of the MIT administration,” said Sam Ihns, a graduate student at MIT.
MIT’s president ordered all students to clear out the encampment by 2:30 PM Monday, citing safety concerns as this continues now for two weeks.
The university also said students could face suspension if they don’t leave.
Harvard, MIT leaders call on protesters to stop encampments on campuses
“I think we hope the administration can be more reasonable than that and come to the negotiation table and agree to our demands, but we will not be moved,” said Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student.
Most students left the encampments for a few hours, but then around 5:30 PM students broke down the barricades surrounding the encampment and reentered the area to create a human shield surrounding their tents even after the president of MIT had ordered them to leave.
“I think all of us hold steadfast in the face of suspension that we do not want to be complicit in the murder of over 40,000 Palestinians by which our university directly designs the killer drones used in their murder,” said Ihns.
Pro-Palestinian protestors are urging MIT leaders to stop funding research for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Meanwhile, both local and state police responded throughout the day, at times creating a barrier between counter-protestors, who show support for Israel.
“What’s problematic is the precedent that it sets just in regards to a student group having zero regard for the rules and like what can come from that?” said Zev Moore, a counter-protestor and MIT student.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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