Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a Harvard alum, visited his alma mater last week and was stunned to see a pro-Hamas protest completely take over the Reading Room venerable Widener Library–a place with a long tradition as a study hall for students. Sullivan wrote about his experience in the Wall Street Journal this weekend.
The protest came just days after Harvard President Claudine Gay apologized for saying at a House hearing that calling for the genocide of Jews depended on the context as to whether it violated the school’s code of conduct.
Dozens of students dressed like Hamas terrorists sat at tables with posters on the laptops reading, “No Normalcy During Genocide—Justice for Palestine.” A large banner was displayed at one end of the room, “Stop the Genocide in Gaza.” Large posters with the names of Palestinians allegedly killed in the Hamas-Israel war were placed on the floor between rows of table.
A photo posted the day of the protest, December 10, shows the Reading Room taken over by the pro-Hamas protesters. (Good luck to any Jewish student looking to study that day.)
Ira Stoll, who posted the photo, commented, “This picture is from today inside Harvard’s Widener library during reading period. Study disrupted by false accusation of genocide. Claims by failed leadership that campus situation is improving are false…Honestly in the culture of Harvard this is like desecrating the temple. Protest all you want on the sidewalk, inside Harvard yard, takeover Mass Hall, university hall. Yell whatever silliness you want outside. But do not protest *inside* Widener Library during reading period.”
Honestly in the culture of Harvard this is like desecrating the temple. Protest all you want on the sidewalk, inside Harvard yard, takeover Mass Hall, university hall. Yell whatever silliness you want outside. But do not protest *inside* Widener Library during reading period.
— Ira Stoll (@IraStoll) December 10, 2023
Sullivan took a photo that was published by the Journal:
Excerpt from Sullivan’s article in the Journal ( alternate link in case of paywall):
I was in Boston last weekend for the Army-Navy game. The day after the game, five days after Harvard President Claudine Gay’s disastrous testimony before Congress, I decided to walk the campus to reminisce about my time at Harvard, where I earned my undergraduate degree in 1987, and reflect about what had gone wrong at this once-great university.
I visited places that held significance to me while I was there: St. Paul’s Catholic Church, my freshman dorm and, of course, Widener Library—a monument to learning, study and contemplation that sits like a temple in the middle of Harvard Yard.
As I did during my undergraduate years, I spent several minutes staring up at the powerful mural by John Singer Sargent, “Death and Victory.” It’s one of two Sargent paintings memorializing the men of Harvard who sacrificed their lives for our country in World War I. I’ve thought about the painting often throughout the years—including when I made the decision to join the Marine Corps.
When I walked upstairs to the famous Widener Reading Room, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Nearly every student in the packed room was wearing a kaffiyeh. Fliers attached to their individual laptops, as well as affixed to some of the lamps in the reading room, read: “No Normalcy During Genocide—Justice for Palestine.” A young woman handed the fliers to all who entered. A large banner spread across one end of the room stated in blazing blood-red letters, “Stop the Genocide in Gaza.”
Sullivan went on to describe a conversation he had with some of the organizers who turned hostile on him when he said he supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and does not support a ceasefire in Gaza, calling him a murderer and supporter of genocide.
Sullivan closed with a call for Congress to act:
“America’s so-called elite universities used to be a positive source of our nation’s power, strength and influence. No longer. I believe over the past several weeks a bipartisan consensus has emerged: It is time for Congress to save these important and once-respected institutions from themselves and their weak leaders who have lost their moral compasses. I intend to work with my colleagues in the Senate to do so.”
The pro-Hamas protests must be seen in their larger context as part of a decades long communist revolution in the making in the West. The Marxists have taken over education and have indoctrinated millions of students. A recent Harvard-Harris poll shows a startling percentage of young people support Hamas destroying Israel and believe the October 7 terror attack by Hamas was justified (New York Post excerpt):
The survey, conducted THIS WEEK by Harvard-Harris polling, found 51% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 said they believed the long-term answer to the Israel-Palestinian conflict was for “Israel to be ended and given to Hamas and the Palestinians.”
Only 32% said they believed in a two-state solution, and just 17% said other Arab states should be asked to absorb Palestinian populations.
The figure was in stark contrast to other age groups, which all dramatically preferred a two-state solution. Just 4% of Americans 65 and over said they felt Israel should be ended.
(Skip)
A full 60% of the same demographic said Hamas’ Oct 7 terrorist attack could be “justified by the grievance of Palestinians” — a position held by just 27% of Americans overall.
At the same time, 58% of 18-24 year olds agreed that “Hamas would like to commit genocide against the Jews in Israel.”
When asked if “Israel is committing genocide against those in Gaza or is it just trying to defend itself and
eliminate Hamas,” 60% of Americas age 18-24 said Israel was committing genocide —a view held by just 37% of Americans overall. Meanwhile 53% of young Americans said students should be free to call for the “genocide of jews” without consequences.
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