Boston — An event promoted online as faculty-sponsored and linked to Harvard-affiliated activists drew intense backlash Sunday after protesters rallied at the site of the Boston Marathon bombing and were heard chanting “globalize the intifada,” a phrase long associated with violent uprisings. The demonstration, held in Copley Square, involved participants from PYM Boston — a local chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement — and included organizer Lea Kayali, who was recognized by Harvard Law School last year for student leadership.

Video circulating on social media shows protesters chanting the slogan repeatedly while standing only steps from the memorial for victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The rally’s promotion online as being connected to Harvard affiliates sparked broader controversy, with critics calling the choice of location and rhetoric inflammatory and disrespectful to the bombing victims and their families.

The incident prompted immediate political reaction, including renewed calls for the Trump Administration to halt all negotiations with Harvard University in response to the ongoing federal funding freeze. Several commentators urged the administration to make the freeze permanent and take the case to the Supreme Court, pointing to rising concerns over campus extremism and the role of university-affiliated activists in high-tension demonstrations. No federal decision has been issued.

Harvard University has not publicly commented on the rally, its location, or the online claims about faculty affiliation. The university has faced increased scrutiny in recent months over campus protests, speech disputes, and questions about safety, academic freedom, and accountability.

The demonstration and its fallout highlight the escalating national debate surrounding campus activism, Middle East politics, and the responsibilities of elite academic institutions — a conflict that has placed Harvard at the center of public and federal scrutiny.