From Gaza to Vietnam: A Retrospective on American Universities and Student Activism

American universities have recently been swept up in a wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-war mobilization, sparked by the ongoing situation in Gaza. Harvard University historian Julie Rubin, who has studied student activism, believes that this movement shares similarities with 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.

Student activists today are calling for their universities to sever ties with companies or donors connected to Israel, echoing similar demands made regarding the apartheid regime in South Africa. This mirrors the largest era of student demonstrations in the United States during the 1960s and 70s on a variety of issues, including civil rights, student rights, freedoms, and opposition to the Vietnam War. The protests spanned several years and were a unique time of widespread student activism.

Rubin sees parallels between these current demonstrations and those from decades ago, particularly in terms of the emotionally charged nature of the issues at hand. While some institutions crack down on protests with police intervention nowadays, others opt for more lenient disciplinary measures – much like what was seen during that era. The rapid spread of this movement to numerous universities is notable; it is an evolution from past protests where local issues were often addressed on a smaller scale.

The dynamics between student activism and university responses continue to evolve as they draw parallels to past movements while facing unique challenges and circumstances. The Vietnam War was highly controversial and divided Americans much like Gaza today’s conflict does so among them which has led students to demand action from their institutions. Despite differences in scale or specificity of demands made then versus now