Harvard University’s Protesters Did Not Replace The American Flag With The Palestinian Flag
The Claim
Harvard University’s Protesters Replaced The American Flag With The Palestinian Flag.
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Emerging story
Social media users recently claimed that pro-Palestine protesters at Harvard University took down the American flag and replaced it with the Palestinian flag. Users supported their claim with videos and photos of three protesters wearing black and white keffiyehs hoisting the Palestinian flag over the John Harvard statue at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the shared video, protesters chanted, "Down, down with occupation. Up, up with liberation. Free, free Palestine.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading.
According to The Harvard Crimson and Harvard University’s media relations department, no American flag was replaced.
The American Flag Was Not Flying At The Time Of The Video
The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper of Harvard University, reported the events stating that it happened on Saturday, April 27. The paper did not mention any replacement of the American flag.
According to a statement released by Harvard University’s media relations department on April 27, the same day the protesters hoisted the Palestinian flag, the American flag “was not flying on University Hall at the time the other flags were raised.”
The media relations department stated that the American flag “is raised on University Hall each Monday through Friday at 7am and lowered at 4pm for proper storage.” This also confirms that the American flag was not raised at the time of the video as it happened on Saturday.
Harvard University Warns Pro-Palestine Protesters
On Saturday evening, April 27, a group of three pro-Palestine student protesters flew three Palestinian flags over the John Harvard statue in the Yard as other protesters chanted for Palestine. However, the flags were soonly removed by Harvard Yard Operations.
In a statement Saturday evening, Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain wrote that raising the flags was “a violation of University policy and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action.”
Following the vigil, a group of seven administrators entered the encampment zone to check IDs carrying ID scanners, wrote down the ID numbers of students within the encampment, and handed each a slip of paper warning of disciplinary action, including the possibility that graduating seniors could have their degrees withheld.
“Repeat violations of University and School policies will result in increasingly severe sanctions,” the slip stated, adding that “students with pending disciplinary matters may not be granted a degree.”
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