Anti-Israeli protesters at Harvard University flew a Palestinian flag at the Ivy League school in a spot usually reserved for the American flag as campus demonstrations continued to spiral out of control.
The shocking display on Saturday came as radical students continued to occupy the campus, with a video circulating online showing three students raising the Palestinian flag over the iconic statue of John Harvard — where the Stars & Stripes are intended to fly.
According to The Harvard Crimson, the flag-raising incident occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. The report said three flags were hoisted at the campus in total. A spokesperson for the university said the student’s actions violated Harvard’s policy.
“The flags raised by protesters over University Hall were removed by Harvard facilities staff,” the spokesperson told The Post. “The actions violate University policy, and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action.”
But online users had even stronger reactions. “These pro-Hamas protesters’ sole agenda is to eradicate every Western value and every basic human right while establishing an Islamic Sharia law regime,” X user Mor Hogeg posted Sunday.
“They are starting with the Jews in Israel as their main objective and will continue with the entire west,” he wrote. “It is not a fight of Israel against Hamas – the fight is between a culture of life and a culture of death. WAKE UP!” Another user called for armed intervention.
“This is where the National Guard needs to be called in,” Mark Isaacson wrote. “On the other hand, with our representatives in congress waving Ukrainian flags, it’s not as if these young people have great role models.”
The Crimson said the flag pole at the Harvard statue typically flies the American flag but has also displayed the flags of visiting foreign dignitaries when they pass by the campus.
The outlet said the US flag was not flying at the time of Saturday’s incident and that the Stars & Stripes is typically hoisted at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday and lowered at 4 p.m. “for proper storage.”
The hoisting of the Palestinian flag came as anti-Israeli students encamped on the school grounds chanted and cheered, “Free, free Palestine,” and “We flay for Palestine.”
