Restive campuses hold a mirror to Washington

Is it back to the sixties on American campuses? US universities have been roiled by protests against Israeli action in Gaza, and Washington’s overt support for it, since October. Protests among students have triggered administrative action, suggesting a pushback by the State authorities and pro-Israel lobbies. In December, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magil was forced to resign for her views on Palestine, which were deemed by donors and others as anti-Jew. On Tuesday, authorities at Columbia University called in police to remove encampments, an action described by the protestors as violent and against free speech. Close to 1,500 students have been arrested across the US after protests spread across campuses including Harvard, Berkeley, Yale, and UCLA.
Restive campuses may not necessarily be barometers of the political conversation outside, but they influence public policy in the long run. The 1960s and 1980s saw massive mobilisations in the US — and elsewhere, including India — over the Vietnam War and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. These did not force the establishment to rethink policies immediately, but they surely contributed to the US withdrawal from Vietnam and the freeing of Nelson Mandela. Student unrest peaked in Europe in 1968, but its impact was visible in the peace, and environmental movements while mainstream politics fortified itself against radical currents. Conscription contributed to the 1968 unrest in the US whereas support for Gaza is also a reflection of a changing student population. Multi-ethnic, multi-faith campuses are not just politically conscious but more militant in calling out the excesses of nation-states. However, in the absence of broader solidarities, campus protests are unlikely to transform the political ground. That said, the protests mark an important moment, of a conscientious young America holding the moral compass to a tired establishment defending a war that has turned indefensible.