Anti-Israel activists at Johns Hopkins demand divestment from Israel on 'Day of Action'
Anti-Israel student protesters conducted a demonstration at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore during the National Students for Justice in Palestine’s 'Day of Action.'
The protest occurred on Sept. 12, and its purpose was to demand that Johns Hopkins divest from companies that have financial connections to the state of Israel.
Anti-Israel student protesters conducted a demonstration at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore during the National Students for Justice in Palestine’s “Day of Action.”
The protest occurred on Sept. 12, and its purpose was to demand that Johns Hopkins divest from companies that have financial connections to the state of Israel.
“Join us in calling for an end to genocide and apartheid,” Johns Hopkins’ SJP chapter posted to Instagram on Sept. 11. “Show up, bring your energy, and spread the word!”
One pro-Palestine student told WBAL-TV that Johns Hopkins currently has investments in companies such as General Dynamics, and that student protesters are demanding that the university remove those investments to distance itself from Israel.
“Our research submitted to Hopkins Public Interest Investment Advisory Council confirmed millions of dollars of investments in General Dynamics with an estimated millions more kept hidden by the university,” the student told the outlet.
The same activist additionally stated that the purpose of the demonstration was to “send a warning” to the Johns Hopkins administration that the so-called “student intifada” is only beginning.
“Kicking off the year, we send a warning to the administrators, the bureaucrats, and the architects of war who try to suppress the student movement,” he continued. “Though the tents and tarps came down in May, the student intifada has only begun.”
A Johns Hopkins spokesperson also told WBAL-TV that protests like the one held on Sept. 12 will be allowed to continue so long as students act according to the school’s rules and guidelines.
“Our students have strong views and opinions on a range of issues,” the spokesperson said. “They are free to express them here as long as they comply with our rules, policies, and guidelines, which we expect them to follow.”
“We ended the encampment in May with an agreement, and we are entering this semester with the expectations that the students will honor that commitment,” the spokesperson added.
Campus Reform reported in July about Johns Hopkins Professor Zoobia Chaudhry, who is under investigation by the university administration after posting statements that strongly critiqued Israel for its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
“This fight is against humanity.. pure barbarism,” Chaudhry wrote in reference to Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza. “We have read about Mongols who used to build towers of human skulls. No ethics, no rules, no shame, just kill everything that moves.”
Chaudhry also reposted a statement that asserted that “Hamas is a symptom of the problem, not the problem” and that the most significant problem with regards to Gaza is “Israel’s brutal occupation and apartheid state.”
Campus Reform has contacted Johns Hopkins University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
