Celebrities supporting pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses

As pro-Palestinian protesters continue to encamp at Columbia University in New York City as the Israel-Hamas war continues, some celebrities have taken to social media to support the protests on the university campus.

Early Wednesday morning, students began gathering and pitching tents in what they called the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” to demand that the Colombian regime divest from companies linked to Israel.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, university students have been at the forefront of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests. On October 7, the militant group Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian attack on Israel in history. Israel then launched its most extensive air campaign against Gaza. According to the Israeli government, at least 1,200 people had been killed in Israel as of Monday, the Associated Press reported. According to the Associated Press, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Protests have since erupted across the United States amid rising tensions, with many calling for a permanent ceasefire, especially as the civilian death toll rises.

Monday's protests continued even though university officials authorized the New York City Police Department to clear the encampment on Thursday, accusing the students of violating school rules. Police in riot gear arrested more than 100 students, and the university announced they had suspended them.

Meanwhile, many celebrities have expressed pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian sentiments on social media. Celebrities such as Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, and John Cusack have also spoken out in support of the Palestinians. Since the protests in Colombia began, these celebrities have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to show their support.

Sarandon has not shared any of her own posts about the protests, but she has retweeted several posts showing support. The actress retweeted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's post about protests aimed at disciplinary actions students are facing: “What's going on here @BarnardCollege @Columbia? Disciplinary History How can a student suddenly receive something less than a suspension from school?'' 24 hours after a non-violent protest, what is the value of an asymmetric crackdown on Palestinian human rights protests? ”

This isn't the first time Sarandon has expressed support. She attended a pro-Palestinian event in November and said, “You don't have to be Palestinian to care about what's happening in Gaza. I support Palestine. No one is free until everyone is free.” She shared a photo with the caption, “It won't be.”

Ruffalo, who continues to post support for the ceasefire, shared a local news article with X that warned against violence against the Jewish community.

“We protest war, but we do not advocate violence against our Jewish brothers and sisters,” he wrote. “There is no place for that in the peace movement or in the movement for freedom. It reflects the horrors we are now witnessing every day in Gaza.”

Ruffalo's comments came after reports of harassment against Jewish students began surfacing on social media Saturday night. In response to the report, Columbia University's rabbi sent a message to Jewish students urging them to leave campus for their safety. Rabbi Elie Buechler said it was clear that Columbia and New York police “cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students in the face of extreme anti-Semitism and disorder.”

A Columbia spokesperson previously said: newsweek The university said it was “acting on the concerns raised by Jewish students and providing additional support and resources to ensure the safety of our community.”

newsweek asked Columbia University for comment via email.

Mr Cusack also expressed support for the protests against X, attacking mainstream media for “implying that the university protests are anti-Semitic”.

“Mainstream media continues to insinuate that the university protests are anti-Semitic, and because genocide is real, it hatefully names Israeli Zionists as having a moral and practical responsibility (to the United States). It's dangerous, it's cynical, it's disgusting. If these anti-Semitic incidents are actually happening, they are anti-Semitic incidents. Of course they are important, but the news media on this issue cannot be trusted right now. is making the world more dangerous and no one is protecting us,” the actor wrote.

A Sunday statement from the Columbia Student Union said they were “frustrated by the media's distraction focused on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us.”

The report said student protesters were “misidentified by a politically motivated mob, exposed by the press, arrested by the NYPD, and locked out of their homes by the university.” “We are intentionally putting ourselves at risk because we can no longer be complicit in allowing Columbia University to funnel our tuition and grants to companies that profit from our deaths.”