Majority of US college students support pro-Palestine campus protests: Poll
A new opinion poll has revealed that the majority of US college students support pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses across the country as Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip continues to rage for over seven months.
The survey, conducted by Intelligent, an online magazine focused on higher education and ran by the New York Post on Sunday, said 65 percent of American college students support the recent protests as anti-Israel demonstrations spread to scores of US campuses.
The poll said 43 percent of those surveyed had participated in a demonstration for Gaza and more than half of them — 63 percent— expressed their sympathy for the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in its fight against the illegal entity.
One in 10 of those polled also admitted to having an “unfavorable” opinion of Jewish people and a portion of them — 9 percent— said they do not believe Israel has the right to exist.
According to the survey, 75 percent of supporters gave a thumbs-up to encampments, and 45 percent approved of blocking students from getting to class as a form of protest, with 38 percent voicing support for graduation ceremonies being canceled due to the protests.
The poll, which was conducted online in the beginning of May, surveyed 763 current full-time US college students.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations in US campuses started last months with Columbia University’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and continued with sit-ins and rallies in other universities across the country.
The peaceful protests were met with arrests, detentions, police violence, surveillance and disciplinary measures, and sanctions against members of the educational community exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
The Associated Press has recorded at least 75 instances since April 18 in which arrests were made at US campus protests. Nearly 2,900 people have been arrested at 57 colleges and universities. The figures are based on AP reporting and statements from schools and law enforcement agencies.
Police at Pennsylvania University cleared a student encampment that was in place for more than two weeks.
The demonstrators are demanding their universities cut direct or indirect financial ties with US weapons manufacturers and Israeli institutions.
Many also want their universities to end academic relationships with the regime’s institutions.
Israel waged its US-backed genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 following a historic operation by the Palestinian resistance groups against the usurping entity.
The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 34,904 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 78,514 others.
