Democracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion Call the campus protests what they are

It’s neither neutral, nor accurate, to call these demonstrations “antiwar” or “pro-Palestinian.”

By
Contributing columnist|
May 3, 2024 at 7:15 a.m. EDT
Pro-Palestinian protesters wave a Palestinian flag on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Erin O'Connor/The Washington Post)
4 min

The protests engulfing many college campuses are spurring debate about U.S. foreign policy, free speech and the purpose of higher education. But there’s a more basic question that journalists, especially, have to answer: What should we call these protests?

The Associated Press says the demonstrators are “antiwar protesters.” CBS News has used the same label and has also labeled the protesters “supporters of Palestinian rights.” Many outlets — including The Post, USA Today, Axios, CNN, Politico and the New York Times — have gone with “pro-Palestinian.”