On Monday, anti-Israel agitators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology made headlines as they retook their encampment on campus after the school issued a deadline for dispersal. The afternoon deadline came and went, with students given the choice to voluntarily leave the protest site or face suspension. While many complied and left, a group of protesters breached fencing following the arrival of demonstrators from outside the university.
Despite the tense situation, Monday night saw a calmer atmosphere at the encampment, with dozens of protesters remaining. They engaged in listening to speakers, chanting, and even took a break for a pizza dinner, as reported by sources.
Sam Ihns, a graduate student at MIT studying mechanical engineering and a member of MIT Jews for a Ceasefire, shared that their group had been present at the encampment for the past two weeks. Their primary objective was to call for an end to the violence in Gaza. Ihns specifically mentioned that their protest was directed at MIT's research ties with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.