A leading pro-Palestinian student demonstrator led songs for a crowd of hundreds gathered in front of the doors at Harvard Yard on Tuesday evening.
A former Jewish leader on the campus which criticized the pro-Palestinian activism of the campus delivered the first speech.
A teacher who is one of Harvard’s most eminent criticism then joined them to urge people to defend university.
Harvard in recent years has been the site of bitter acrimony on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, freedom of expression and the future of American higher education.
But the Trump administration’s attack on Harvard infused the campus with a feeling of unity that has missed in the past year and a half, while the university is preparing at the start this week.
“School pride is probably at a record level,” said Abdullah Shahid Sial, a second -year student in Pakistan and one of the two presidents for Harvard undergraduate students. He said he had not seen the unified campus. “I hope it continues.”
