University of Vienna students continue protests in solidarity with Palestinians

By Askin Kiyagan

VIENNA (AA) – Students at the University of Vienna in Austria continued to carry out activities on campus in solidarity with Palestinians on Wednesday.

Aiming to draw attention to the catastrophic situation in Gaza in the face of Israeli attacks, they were joined by more students and area residents, with a small pro-Israeli group also organizing a counter-rally.

The students carried banners saying “Don’t arm Israel,” “No to genocide” and “Free Palestine.”

They also called on the university’s administration to end all joint projects with Israeli institutions and to stop calling their actions “antisemitic.”

Kevin Potter, a senior researcher at the university’s Department of English and American studies, taught his classes among the students to show solidarity with them.

Demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli siege in Gaza have spread across university campuses in the US and Europe in recent weeks.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested at US campuses since April 18 amid heavily polarized debates over the right to protest, the limits of free speech and accusations of antisemitism.

But while clashes and standoffs with police at New York’s Columbia University, Portland State University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have captured global attention, demonstrations and sit-ins are also being held on campuses in parts of Europe, including France and Switzerland.

Although protesters' demands vary by university, most demonstrations have called for colleges to divest from companies that support Israel and the Gaza war.