Students at elite university campuses across the United States are forming Gaza Solidarity encampments and marching to demand that their schools end their support for Israel.
However, some of these protests got out of hand and took a turn toward hatred and anti-Semitism.
At Columbia University in New York, demonstrators chanted “We are Hamas” and “Go back to Poland”. And on Thursday, demonstrators in Princeton reportedly raised a Hezbollah terror flag.
“It's a shame,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a post on X, sharing a photo of protesters holding the terrorist organization's yellow flag and green insignia.
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Aerial view of anti-Israel demonstrators in Princeton on Thursday morning, April 25, 2024. (WTXF)
The US State Department has officially designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization.
The Hezbollah flag was found at the encampment Thursday at about 5:16 p.m., according to the Daily Princetonian. Organizers then requested that it be removed immediately.
The photo of the flag was initially shared by the X account of Miles McKnight, a 2023 graduate who also served as president of an undergraduate student organization dedicated to promoting free speech, the paper said.
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Hezbollah is primarily active in southern Lebanon and has regularly attacked Israel since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel sparked a war in the region. Seeking to capitalize on the fighting between Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah has launched various missile attacks across Israel's northern border against their common enemy, Israel.
The US State Department has officially designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization. (Mahmoud Zayat/AFP via Getty Images)
Hezbollah has also carried out attacks from neighboring Syria, drawing criticism and retaliation from Israel.
On Thursday, university police arrested two people at Princeton University, a spokesperson told FOX News Digital.
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A university spokesperson said the protest began with a sit-in in McCosh's courtyard, after which some people began erecting tents, a violation of school policy. Princeton University Public Safety, the Ivy League's police force, gave the protesters several warnings before taking action, the university said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the flag's presence “disgraceful.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
All tents have since been voluntarily removed by protesters, the College of New Jersey said.
Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper stating that protesters must abide by strict rules.
“That guarantee also applies to protests and demonstrations, unless they involve genuine intimidation, harassment, conduct that interferes with the right of others to be heard, violates the law, or disrupts important activities.” ” Eisgruber wrote.
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He added that “some types of protests (such as occupying or blocking buildings, setting up outdoor encampments, or sleeping in outdoor spaces on campus) are inherently safe for both those involved and bystanders.” rather, it increases the likelihood of escalation and conflict.”
“Anyone involved in camping, occupying, or other illegal acts of vandalism who refuses to stop after being warned will be arrested and immediately banned from campus,” Eisgruber concluded.
FOX News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.