On Tuesday evening, as pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University were breaking the windows of Hamilton Hall, their Harvard counterparts posted a video on Instagram of students dancing in front of University Hall.

The video from the coalition “Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine” (HOOP rhymes with GOOP) features a guide walking through the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” showing off their “Art Build,” “Reading Center” and “spiritual and prayer space.”

The difference between the unrest at the two Ivy League schools is striking. As Columbia students risk arrest, Harvard students are risking a good night’s sleep.

NYPD officers in riot gear march onto Columbia University campus, where pro-Palestinian students are barricaded inside a building and have set up an encampment, in New York City on April 30, 2024.

For now, the Harvard administration is keeping the police away from the Yard and with finals starting on Friday, the plan may be to just wait this out.

One observer said that the protesters made a strategic mistake by pitching their tents in a gated community. Only people who flash a Harvard ID can get past security guards and enter the Yard. This means students from other Boston colleges and the public can only offer support from a distance.

Compared to other universities, Harvard’s protest is small, but well-equipped for addressing basic needs–like staying warm as one protester did in a $2,000 Moncler puffer with faux fur collar.

“Who wants a bedroll?” shouted a pink-haired student organizer while brandishing a brand-new mat. The question was repeated until the organizer added, “If no one here wants one, I’m sending it to Northeastern!”

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