US senator says he supports pro-Palestinian college students

WASHINGTON

US Senator Bernie Sanders voiced support Friday for students protesting Israel's onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

"In 1962, we organized sit-ins to end racist policies at the University of Chicago. In '63, I was arrested protesting segregated schools. But we were right.

"I’m proud to see students protesting the war in Gaza. Stay peaceful and focused. You’re on the right side of history," Sanders wrote on X.

Sanders previously said students, including himself, joined demonstrations 60 years ago to demand an end to the Vietnam War.

"This may be Biden's Vietnam," he said, arguing that President Joe Biden is putting himself in a weak position, politically and morally, by his support for Israel.

More than 2,000 people, including students, have been arrested during the pro-Palestine demonstrations in the US, with protestors demanding universities divest from Israel and condemning the onslaught on Gaza, where more than 34,000 victims have been killed.

Nationwide demonstrations gained momentum last month after Columbia University asked the New York Police Department to forcibly evict students who staged an encampment on a campus lawn. More than 100 people were arrested, but the protesters quickly adapted and formed another sit-in.

They were forcibly removed late Tuesday by police from that site, as well as a building they occupied.

Students in other countries including Canada, Australia, France and Egypt have also organized demonstrations at universities in solidarity with Palestine.