Tipsheet

Pro-Hamas Protesters Reach Deal With Harvard

The pro-Hamas group occupying Harvard Yard announced Tuesday morning that it has peacefully agreed to remove its encampment.

“Yesterday, the Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP) coalition democratically voted to end its encampment after 20 days,” HOOP said in a statement.

The decision to peacefully end the encampment came after University President Alan M. Garber ’76 and HOOP organizers negotiated a peaceful end to the protest. Garber’s administration agreed to promptly begin reinstating at least 22 students from involuntary leaves of absence and offered protesters a meeting with members of the University’s governing boards about divestment.

Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain confirmed the University will encourage schools to begin processing petitions for reinstatement from involuntary leave. […]

The University also agreed to expedite Administrative Board cases for more than 60 students facing charges for their involvement in the encampment with “precedents of leniency for similar actions in the past,” according to the press release. (The Harvard Crimson)

“At Harvard, our Schools have responsibility for our involuntary leave and disciplinary processes. With the disruption to the educational environment caused by the encampment now abated, I will ask that the Schools promptly initiate applicable reinstatement proceedings for all individuals who have been placed on involuntary leaves of absence,” said interim President Alan Garber. 

In its statement, HOOP vowed its push for divestment would continue “through other means” and said it is “under no illusions…[that] these meetings [with University officials] are divestment wins.”

“These side-deals are intended to pacify us away from full disclosure & divestment. Rest assured, they will not,” it added.