Harvard warns its encampment

May 6, 2024 • 12:30 pm

This is just to keep up with what different colleges are doing about their Encampments, and this is College #1, Harvard (or, as we used to call it when I was a grad student, “Schmarvard”). A while back, to prevent Encampments, they closed Harvard Yard to all but those who could present a Harvard ID, and just to walk through or go to their dorm.

Nevertheless, the Yard got entented; by the second day, it looked like this (from the Harvard Crimson). That’s a lot of tents. Note the green and white jobbies, but here we also see blue and orange ones. The similarity of colors among tents bespeaks a common funder, but we don’t know who.

(from Crimson): The Harvard Yard encampment expanded as it entered its second day. Despite the Palestine Solidarity Committee heavily promoting the demonstration on social media, the group insisted that they did not organize the encampment. By Frank S. Zhou

The reason wasn’t divestment, but this:

The organizers behind a pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard insisted that the demonstration was not organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a clarification that protesters made amid heightened concerns about the potential for disciplinary action against the PSC and its individual members.

Instead, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine — an unrecognized coalition of pro-Palestine student groups — is responsible for staging the encampment, according to organizers.

Students established the encampment to protest the College’s decision to suspend the PSC on Monday, after the group allegedly violated the terms of its one-month probation by organizing an unregistered protest on Friday that was co-sponsored by unrecognized student organizations.

According to an internal University document obtained by The Crimson, the PSC did not complete the terms of their probation, despite meeting with the Dean of Students Office multiple times to clarify the College’s policies around organized protests.

But the reason for this post is simply to show you how the interim president of Harvard, Alan Garber (replacing Claudine Gay until they find her successor), responded. He let the Encampent stay for 12 days and then issued the statement below:

The upshot, then, is that Harvard’s been remarkably tolerant of the encampment, despite activities (like the famous Keffiyeh Encirclement that I experienced) that are disruptive and distressing. Harvard wants to have its graduation, which is in the Yard, without the tents and their obstreperous inhabitants, and is announcing that the camp will be dismantled. Garber mentions the reason why all these encampments are illegal: while they can be partly seen as expressions of free speech, they violate the “TPM” requirements (“time, place, and manner”) that the courts have said can be part of free-speech policies on campus.

The gist of Garber giving the Encampment the pink slip is summarized in the last sentence, “Our disagreements are most effectively addressed through candid constructive dialogue, building not on disruption but on facts and reason.”

It’s a good letter, and Schmarvard has indulged its Encampers long enough.

Veritas! Will the University of Chicago have the spine to do what Harvard says it will do?

Oh, and a tweet:

27 thoughts on “Harvard warns its encampment”

  1. It’s what Harvard SAYS it will do. Let’s see if they do it. My bet is that if they REALLY suspend even a dozen students (who will have to tell their parents that all that money and effort that went into the students getting into Harvard — and then paying for Harvard — has now been wasted), the rest will stop the protest lickety-split. But I doubt Harvard will do it. Maybe hire Ben Sasse as Harvard’s next prez?

    BTW — have you monitored what has been going on at MIT? Could there even theoretically be a more spineless feckless prez than Kornbluth?

    This was 10 days ago:

    https://president.mit.edu/writing-speeches/video-transcript-mit-community-message-president-kornbluth

    This is now:

    https://twitter.com/TaliaKhan_MIT/status/1787521864203370689

    How can that NOT be a Title VI violation?

  2. About the tents :

    I think the most common color is green.

    You know me, I tend to get close to tinfoil hat on this stuff – but it just occurred, is all. (I actually have a tent very much like this, they might be quite common, priced accordingly, and yes, my backyard is a campus – ok, I kid, but yeah. Coleman dome style green / black color scheme).

    Doesn’t prove anything, nor refute, but…

    [ looks again ..]

    … the orange ones have a “UAW”, or Union of Auto Workers logo, so that obviously means… anyone? Anyone? Graduate students.

    UAW =probably= Graduate Students. Probably of the scientific form.

  3. My preference is to erect barricades around the encampments and arrest anyone leaving.

  4. “Our disagreements are most effectively addressed through candid constructive dialogue, building not on disruption but on facts and reason.”

    Yes, and these encampments are essentially coercion. For that reason their demands should be ignore.

    I wonder if Claudine Gray is saying, “Better Garber than me.”

  5. One of the spokesmen for the demonstrators wants the University to take a stand against the Israeli action in Gaza because, he said, they once took a stand against the Russians in respect of their invasion of Ukraine. Setting aside the question whether the situations are comparable in terms of moral clarity, is it true that the University made any such statement? I never heard of it, if so, and I highly doubt it given the importance of the Kalven principles. Lying comes easily to these people.

    1. No, the university did never take a stand on the Ukraine Russia situation, at least not that I recall. It’s possible they may have told Ukrainian students where to get help, but take a position? Nope; didn’t happen, and I paid attention.

      1. Maybe they’re referring to this statement by Harvard’s president Bacow?

        https://www.harvard.edu/president/news-and-statements-by-president-bacow/2022/statement-on-the-russia-ukraine-crisis/

        Today the Ukrainian flag flies over Harvard Yard. Harvard University stands with the people of Ukraine

        I don’t know if this statement conforms to the Kalven principles but did Harvard officially adopt those principles? I assume the protestors want a similar statement of solidarity with the Palestinians without taking into account the manifest differences between the two situations.

  6. Hmm… Garber may have put his foot in it now. “…not on disruption but on facts and reason.” Aren’t “facts and reason” merely constructs of the white hegemony implemented to continue oppression of the marginalized?

    But seriously, folks… as others have noted, the problem is how to get rid of the encampments without physical confrontation. Affirmatively removing them will provoke exactly that. The optics on that haven’t been great so far.

    Barricades that don’t let anyone leave (without being arrested) sound like a good idea, but what about people who want to enter, particularly those who would bring food and supplies to the protesters? Should they be prevented from entering? Not allowing food delivery will, at least, enable the protesters to more effectively cosplay being “starving Gazans”.

    1. It’s the university’s property. It can deny access to anyone to any area for any reason, and keep people out of its buildings. “Safe passage for humanitarian aid” is not the university’s responsibility to trespassers who are free to leave at any time.

  7. I’ve been reading Jerry’s website for a while but this is the first time I’ve felt inclined to comment. Got my bachelor’s at UofC, where I shared a P-chem class or two with the current president. Later went to get a doctorate at Harvard* and have lived in the Boston area for most of the time since then.

    One thing to point out about the tactics here–the Harvard Yard area is surrounded by brick walls & tall iron fences and can be completely closed off from the outside world. It’s basically a gated community. Currently the gates are closed and one needs to present a Harvard ID in order to get in. There have apparently been arguments about that. My wife works at Harvard, but fortunately in places that don’t require her to enter the Yard.

    Until now things have been relatively low key. My feeling is that Harvard would have left the demonstrators alone if they kept it that way, since I’ve seen how past protests panned out (anti-South Africa apartheit ones were going on during my student days, also with encampments). However, the latest move in setting up more tents on the other side of the Yard is significant. They’re now squatting right in the area where the commencement takes place. The administration will have to delouse the place or cancel commencement, and all the alums coming to their various reunions will Not Be Pleased.

    We’ll see what happens–get out the popcorn.

    *Or WGU, as one local paper refers to Harvard when it wants to be snarky. Stands for World’s Greatest University.

      1. Local joke: Student pushes a loaded-to-the-brim shopping cart into the express checkout lane at the supermarket, where the sign reads: “ten items or less”.

        Cashier says: Tell me, are you a Harvard student who can’t count, or an MIT student who can’t read?

  8. Elliott: yes, I think people should be allowed to leave (and should be arrested or at least expelled upon their leaving, for violating policy/law…a nice trial can decide if the the arrested are guilty or not), but no one and no thing should be allowed to enter, as that is simply an invitation to further thuggish lawlessness

    1. That would be nice but let’s be clear. Currently Harvard students with ID can come and go as they please. The encampment is well stocked with food for the long haul. Only those who are unaffiliated with Harvard can’t get so presumably the protestors can’t bring in their outsider friends. A Harvard employee was fired for ripping down hostage posters, but that’s it so far.

      1. If the property owner designates an area out of bounds because of special circumstances, it will say “Your ID doesn’t get you into this area.” It doesn’t get you onto the HR office or the Office of Student Records or the Animal Facility. If a building was uninhabitable because of water damage from a leaking roof the property owner would declare it off limits. If Harvard has not already responded thus to this encampment, it is condoning it. I wish them well. Diversity is our strength.

        And, as I always ask, “Where are the Harvidians pooping?”

      1. Thanks for the minutes. Lots of activity with plenty of law enforcement present but no arrests. Hmm. I suppose those remaining will be at it again tomorrow. Not much accomplished in the end but at least no one was hurt.
        Thanks for all the info.

  10. I have a slightly off-topic question for Dr, Coyne….

    What is appropriate for me to wear to indicate that I am a supporter of Israel? I work retail sales, and I’ve noticed a *lot* more comments from customers along the lines of “How much are you going to Jew me out of?” I’m seeing a lot of passive and active support for Hamas, which is both offensive and baffling to me.

    I know that putting anything on my vehicle will immediately make it a vandalism target. But I am willing to wear something subtle, or at least small, that will hopefully make it less comfortable for folks to be openly antisemitic in my presence. My city is a minor University town, and while we don’t have encampments yet, we do have flag waving and yelling.

    Is it inappropriate to wear a Star of David as a pin? As a necklace? As a ring?

    To be clear, I am not Jewish. I was raised Catholic, but it didn’t stick.

    What can I do?

    Peace,

    Paul

    1. I’m not Dr. Coyne, but I am Jewish.

      It’s completely appropriate to wear Star of David jewelry, including pins, necklaces, and rings. I’d say offhand the necklaces are most common. And you don’t have to be Jewish.

      You could also wear an Israeli flag pin; that is more of a political/national symbol, as opposed to a Star of David, which is more of a religious symbol.

      Thank you for your support!

    2. I’m in agreement with Pual Monee’s idea for solidarity!

      As to what else you can do, in today’s climate of self-ID, how about saying (with or without a smile, depending on how well you know the individual) “I’m sorry, you probably didn’t know I identify as Jewish.” After all, there are probably pretending palestinians out there, too.

      For group encounters, the rule is oppressor or oppressed and unless you’re fully masked and costumed with an assigned task, you’re already seen at the very least as Jewish-adjacent, which will get their attention. Don’t expect dialog, and any book, sign or jewelry on a chain, can become the target to grab or destroy. Sort of like an ice breaker, instead of outright punching. (“Hey!I didn’t touch him!”)

  11. The new element of dialectical political warfare I heard about is the sympathetic character. I am not sure which literature that can be found in.

    This will be interesting to see which special intersectional representatives will be making their debut in the next few days.

    But, I don’t have any guesses ready.

  12. “It would be especially painful if . . .”

    This is practically telling the protesters what tactics to use.

  13. So far the small university where I live has no sign of any protests.
    Thanks for the updates, it must be tiring.

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