"The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been met with joy and relief across the Middle East and beyond. Over the past two years, outrage at Israel's war in Gaza has erupted across Europe and the US, manifesting itself in university campus protests, massive marches through countless capitals and the disruption of major sporting events. Even as hopes rise of an end to the war, international anger over Israel's actions in Gaza, which have been deemed a genocide by a UN commission of inquiry, remains raw, as evidenced by last weekend's huge rallies in Spain and Italy."
"While the fury that fuels them has been shared and ubiquitous, the demonstrations and the authorities' responses to them have varied considerably from country to country. If some of the official reactions have been draconian, there have also been exceptions, especially in countries where public opinion is more openly pro-Palestinian. Free speech on trial In the US, growing pro-Palestinian activism has been met with arrests, legal action and mounting threats, offering a pretext for the Trump administration's unprecedented attack on free speech and catalysing what many view as the country's descent into authoritarianism."
"In the early months of the war, thousands of people, many of them Jewish, took part in protests. After students at Columbia University set up a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus in the spring of 2024, dozens more followed at other universities across the country. But bowing to pressure from legislators, donors, and pro-Israel critics, many universities responded harshly to the encampments, calling police on to campuses, which led to thousands of arrests."
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has produced relief across the Middle East while deep international anger over Gaza endures. Over two years, protests have spread across Europe and the US, taking the form of campus encampments, mass marches and disruptions to sporting events. A UN commission of inquiry labeled Israel's actions in Gaza genocide, keeping tensions high and prompting large rallies in countries such as Spain and Italy. State responses have varied from draconian crackdowns to permissive stances. In the US, pro-Palestinian activism has triggered arrests, legal measures, threats, and steps that undermine academic freedom and funding.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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