Harvard and protesters agree to end pro-Palestinian camp

Harvard University announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with protesters to dismantle an on-campus camp that had occupied the iconic Harvard Yard campus for nearly three weeks.

The agreement provides for students who were suspended during the demonstration to be reinstated in classes. In addition, university officials have agreed to discuss student questions about possible divestment from Israel in light of the ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

University spokesman Jonathan Swain told WBUR that interim President Alan Garber and Hopi Hoekstra, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, would participate in the talks.

Harvard’s pro-Palestine protests could come to a miserable end

The coalition running the camp, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP), said in a statement that it had “democratically voted to end its camp after 20 days.” As part of the agreement, Harvard will consider establishing a “Center for Palestine Studies” at the university, according to HOOP.

HOOP had previously stated that more than 20 students were suspended during the demonstration and another 60 were subject to disciplinary action. The end of the demonstration was announced on Instagram. In a statement, it said that this only happened after the university agreed to make some concessions – which, however, were not enough to fully satisfy the organization.

“We are under no illusions,” HOOP wrote in a statement. “We do not believe these meetings are divestment wins. These side agreements are designed to dissuade us from full disclosure and divestment. Rest assured, they will not.”

The closure of the camp came shortly after most students left campus for the summer vacation, as final exams and graduation ceremonies concluded last weekend.

As summer approached, the size of the demonstration seemed to diminish significantly. With dormitories around Harvard Yard closed and the nearby Lamont Library no longer open 24 hours a day, protesters no longer had access to restrooms and had to resort to cat litter.

The surreal difference between the protests at Harvard and Columbia

Because the campus restricts access between semesters, protesters have been unable to enter Harvard Yard in recent days, even with their student IDs. This meant that protesters could no longer leave the camp and return. If they wanted to stay in the camp, they had to stay in Harvard Yard overnight and throughout the day – a sacrifice that the majority of protesters apparently did not want to make.

By Monday morning, only four participants in the protest remained. Harvard Magazine reported, and seemed to be on the verge of closure even without reaching an agreement.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast’s biggest stories and scandals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and get unlimited access to The Daily Beast’s unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.