Anti-Israel protesters vandalize Harvard statue, smash windows: ‘We are committed to bringing the war home’
Anti-Israel protesters in the hours after the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack reportedly vandalized the John Harvard statue and smashed windows at the Cambridge university.
Pro-Palestine activists also reportedly targeted UMass Amherst on the anniversary of Oct. 7 — when Hamas terrorists last year slaughtered Israelis and took hostages.
These incidents come as anti-Israel student groups called for a “Week of Rage” across college campuses. Tufts University recently suspended a pro-Palestine group after they used images of assault rifles to promote an Oct. 7 protest as they called for students to “Join the Student Intifada!”
A video of the vandalism incident at Harvard was posted by “Unity Of Fields” on Instagram, which publishes anonymous submissions of defacement videos from across the country.
“In the early hours of 10/8, autonomous actors at Harvard smashed windows of the main administrative building and vandalized the John Harvard statue in an act of solidarity with the Palestinian resistance,” the video’s caption reads.
“We are committed to bringing the war home and answering the call to open up a new front here in the belly of the beast,” the caption adds.
The video shows the vandals smashing windows and putting blood-red paint on the John Harvard statue.
A Harvard University Police spokesperson said the incident was under investigation.
“It is the longstanding policy of the Harvard University Police Department to not comment on open investigations,” the spokesperson added.
BREAKING: Harvard was reportedly vandalized early this morning by protestors who want “bring the war home.”
“In the early hours of 10/8, autonomous actors at Harvard smashed windows of the main administrative building and vandalized the John Harvard statue in an act of… pic.twitter.com/CzDB1LUS1a
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) October 8, 2024
The Anti-Defamation League on the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 reported that antisemitic incidents have spiked across the U.S. in the last year.
“The vandalism at Harvard’s University Hall and the iconic John Harvard statute amidst calls from others to ‘escalate’ anti-Israel protests and ‘open up a new front at Harvard’ is a disturbing combination on any day but especially on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel,” said Peggy Shukur, of the Anti-Defamation League’s East Division.
“Such cowardly and destructive approaches only serve to divide and escalate tensions,” Shukur added. “When those responsible are identified, they should be held accountable.”
Meanwhile at UMass Amherst on Oct. 7, activists reportedly vandalized the UMass Amherst Engineering Quad and Fine Arts Center — including writing, “Free Palestine.”
“UMass Amherst is complicit in genocide through its partnerships with Raytheon and other war profiteers,” reads the caption on the Unity of Fields website. “At their engineering career fair, both Raytheon and General Dynamics were present. Both are weapons manufacturers that are heavily complicit in genocide. UMass Foundation is also invested into several war profiteering companies, which means our tuition money goes directly to genocide.
“Expect more autonomous actions at UMass Amherst,” the caption adds. “We will not rest until war profiteers are gone, and Palestine is fully liberated.”
UMass Police is investigating, according to a spokesperson for the university.
“The university is aware of incidents that are being investigated by UMass Police,” the UMass Amherst spokesperson wrote. “Beyond that, we do not comment on active investigations.”
Similar blood-red paint and “Free Palestine” vandalism incidents have been happening around the region and country since the Hamas terrorist attack last Oct. 7.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/dOQC0iU
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