A professor at Northwestern University has reportedly notified students that they have a chance to make up classes they miss while attending a pro-Palestinian protest.
The report comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at several colleges across the U.S.
Tensions on campuses have remained high since October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 people dead and saw more than 200 taken hostage. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, the Associated Press reported, citing local health officials.
On Thursday, Guy Benson of Fox News shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying that he heard from several students at Northwestern in Illinois that they are receiving emails "allowing people to miss classes to attend the Hamas solidarity rally/encampment that the university has clearly stated violates policy & is not permitted."
"Imagine being a Jewish student in that class & being informed that in order to attend class, you must show up at the site of a hate rally, where a student journalist has been assaulted, campus police were physically resisted & people are wearing Hamas-branded clothing. It's sick. NU needs to crack down. Soon," Benson wrote in his post.
In another post, Benson shared a screenshot of one email from a professor identified as Jesse Yeh that told students, "per course policy, if you need to miss class or need extension on your assignment for any reason, all I ask is for you to email me, preferably ahead of time."
"This includes if you need to miss class for an extended period of time to exercise your right to protest. Please stay safe," the email stated, with a sign-off of "in solidarity."
In a statement to Newsweek on Friday, a spokesperson for Northwestern University said: "We are aware of a small number of instances in which this has happened. We have conveyed with departments and programs that this is not appropriate."
On Thursday, the Daily Northwestern, a student-run newspaper, reported that several pro-Palestinian protests broke out on the campus. According to the paper, one of the protest organizers, who was not named, said protesters plan to remain on the campus near Deering Meadow until several demands are met, following a resolution released by NU chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine.
According to the Daily Northwestern, the resolution called on the school to cut all ties with Israel and issue plans to protect Palestinian students.
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