For more than two weeks, American universities have been grappling with a wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-war mobilization in response to the situation in Gaza. Harvard University historian Julie Rubin, who has studied student activism, believes that this movement bears striking similarities to past protest movements in the country. The deep emotional divides over Gaza, along with the use of police by some universities to intervene on their campuses, are reminiscent of aspects of student demonstrations against the Vietnam War in the sixties and seventies.
The sixties were a unique period of widespread student activism in the United States, marked by protests on a variety of issues, including civil rights, student rights, freedoms and opposition to the Vietnam War. This era saw the largest number of student demonstrations on record and left a lasting impact on American society. While protests have continued to occur since then, often on a smaller scale related to local issues or other causes such as apartheid in South Africa.
Rubin sees similarities between the current protests and those of the sixties, particularly in terms of the emotionally charged nature of the issues at hand. The Vietnam War was a highly controversial topic that sparked strong opposition and divisions among Americans, much like the current situation in Gaza. The response from universities then and now also share similarities, with some institutions cracking down on protests with police intervention while others opt for more lenient disciplinary measures.
What sets these current protests apart from those of previous generations is their rapid spread across numerous universities. The response of universities to protests has evolved over time, with some institutions now calling on police intervention while others opt for more permissive approaches that emerged in