A fake protest encampment set up for a TV shoot on a New York City college campus has stirred up real reactions from pro-Palestinian activists. The incident took place at Queens College, where the CBS drama 'FBI: Most Wanted' was filming an episode centered around a climate change protest. The staged protest, complete with tents, sleeping bags, and handmade banners, resembled the encampments that emerged on college campuses this spring to protest Israel's actions in its conflict with Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian groups, Within Our Lifetime and Students for Justice in Palestine, were quick to respond by organizing a demonstration against the filming. Their protest coincided with the fictional one, prompting the production to wrap up earlier than planned on Monday. A smaller group of about 15 protesters returned on Tuesday, although it was unclear if any were students from the college.
The demonstrators, who declined to speak to the media, labeled the film shoot as 'propaganda' and criticized the use of the campus as an attempt to profit from the student movement while demonizing it. The show's producers chose not to comment on the situation, and Queens College stated that the campus community had been informed in advance about the focus of the TV shoot on a climate change/environmental issue protest at a fictitious college.
Filming concluded as scheduled by noon on Tuesday. This year's student protest movement related to Gaza was sparked by a demonstration at Columbia University and spread to various U.S. campuses. While some schools saw encampments and peaceful protests, there were over 3,200 arrests across the country. Instances of disruptions, walkouts, and cancellations of commencement ceremonies were reported, along with complaints of antisemitic and anti-Palestinian harassment at some institutions.
The conflict between Hamas and Israel began with Hamas militants attacking Israel, resulting in casualties on both sides. In Gaza, over 39,000 Palestinians have been reported killed, with the Health Ministry not distinguishing between combatants and civilians.
