Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Officials at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts University say the demonstrations and encampments on campus need to end.
Pro-Palestinian college students have created encampments on several university campuses in Boston to protest the war in Gaza. Over 200 protesters have been arrested for encampments at Emerson College and Northeastern University.
Read More: More Than 100 Arrested During Northeastern University Protests
MIT President Sally Kornbluth released a video statement calling for an end to the encampment on the Kresge lawn. Officials at Tufts University have also called for an end to an encampment on campus.
“From the start, this encampment has been a clear violation of our procedures for registering and reserving space for campus demonstrations. Rules that are independent of content. Rules that help make sure everyone can have freedom of speech,” said Kornbluth in a video statement.
Kornbluth said that police have been monitoring the encampment around the clock and the university has diverted “hundreds of staff hours” toward keeping the students in the encampment safe. She also said the encampment has taken the space away from other students who “properly reserved” the lawn.
“We have a responsibility to the entire MIT community and it is not possible to sustain this level of effort. We are open to further discussion about the means of ending the encampment, but this particular form of expression needs to end soon,” said Kornbluth in a video statement.
Graduate student Prahlad Iyengar has been one of the protesters and said the MIT encampment stands in solidarity with fellow protesters at Tufts University.
“We’re actually back to negotiation. I think there will be even more, possibly rounds, [or at least] one round of negotiation today,” said Iyengar. “I hope that they are able to get into their own negotiations with the Tufts administration.”
Iyengar said they will not end the encampment until MIT cuts its research ties with Israel.
“We protest knowing on some level that there’s risk, but that the cause is much more worthy than that. It’s much more powerful,” said Iyengar.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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