Campuses press on with pro-Palestinian protests

DETROIT — Police broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment at a Detroit university and arrested at least 12 people on Thursday, while more than 100 graduates walked out of commencement at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the latest campus stress related to the Gaza conflict.

Police in riot gear removed fencing and broke down tents erected last week on green space near the undergraduate library at Wayne State University.

Kimberly Andrews Espy, president of Wayne State University, cited health and safety concerns and disruptions to campus operations. Staff members were encouraged to work remotely this week, and in-person summer classes were suspended.

"No individual or group is permitted to claim campus property for their own use and deny others access to that property," Espy said.

The camp, she added, "created an environment of exclusion — one in which some members of our campus community felt unwelcome and unable to fully participate in campus life".

Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an outdoor commencement ceremony at MIT was disrupted for 10 to 15 minutes when some graduates walked out. Wearing keffiyehs, the checkered scarves that represent Palestinian solidarity, over their caps and gowns, they chanted "free, free Palestine" and held signs that said "All eyes on Rafah".

Protest camps have sprung up across the United States and in Europe as students demanded their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that they say support its conflict in Gaza. Organizers seek to amplify calls to end Israel's conflict with Hamas, which they describe as a "genocide" against the Palestinians.

In Europe, more and more countries on the continent have been acting on recognizing the state of Palestine in recent days.

Slovenia's government endorsed a motion on Thursday to recognize the Palestinian state and asked parliament to do the same. It comes just two days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized the Palestinian state.

Italian opposition parties, including the Five Star Movement, the Democratic Party, and the Green and Left Alliance, are also urging the Italian government to join the three nations.

Members of parliament waved Palestinian and peace flags as Five Star Movement's deputy leader, Riccardo Ricciardi, delivered a speech on Tuesday, following a motion the day before that had called on the Italian government to recognize the state of Palestine, news site Euractiv reported.

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians in the border city of Rafah have reported heavy fighting in recent days as Israel's military widens its offensive in the south, seizing control of the entire length of Gaza's border with Egypt.

Beyond Rafah, Israeli forces were still battling militants in parts of Gaza that the military said it wrested control of months ago — potential signs of a low-level insurgency that could keep Israeli troops engaged in the territory.

Jonathan Powell in London contributed to this story.

Agencies Via Xinhua