For more than two weeks, American universities have been witnessing a wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-war mobilization in response to the situation in Gaza. 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. Harvard University historian Julie Rubin, who has studied student activism, believes that this movement bears similarities to past protest movements in the country.
The sixties saw the largest era of student demonstrations in the United States on a variety of issues, including civil rights, student rights, freedoms, and opposition to the Vietnam War. This period of intense protests spanned several years and was a unique time of widespread student activism. Since then, demonstrations have continued to occur, sometimes on a smaller scale related to local issues, and other times on a larger scale, such as the protests to stop funding South Africa due to apartheid.
Rubin sees similarities between the current demonstrations 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, similar to 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.
While the current protests may not reach
