Protesting MIT students march through Cambridge, block faculty garage

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — MIT student protestors marched from their encampment on Kresge Lawn down the street to block a faculty parking garage on Vassar St. There, some students locked arms and chanted while surrounded by campus police, Cambridge Police, and State Troopers.

“Now we have their attention,” said Hannah Didehbani, MIT senior.

Didehbani is part of the school’s Pro-Palestinian encampment calling on MIT to stop funding research for the Israel Ministry of Defense.

“[Wednesday] I got a suspension and eviction notice but I wasn’t actually locked out of my dorm and this morning they emailed and said they’re going to be gracious and allow us to stay in our housing until May 15th at 5 pm,” she said.

Didehbani said that’s not enough to stop her from standing up for what she believes in.

“I saw them push kids to the ground like over a dozen times before they actually made arrests,” she said.

Back on campus Maya Makaroesky is part of the MIT Israel Alliance. She said the school failed to shut down the encampment after it said it would.

“The school has lost control of its students and in the process they have sacrificed the Jewish and Israeli students,” said Makaroesky.

Chancellor Melissa Nobles wrote a letter Wednesday that said this and any future encampments are not approved and must end at once.

MIT’s graduation is scheduled for May 31st at Killian Court, leaving some students wondering why the encampment can’t stay where it is on Kresge Lawn.

Boston 25 also reached out to Harvard and Emerson for updates on its student protests ahead of Commencement but hasn’t heard back.

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