Contracted worker banned from Harvard campus after taking down Israeli hostage posters

A worker was caught on video tearing down posters on Harvard’s campus that depicted Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, leading to a heated exchange and the worker reportedly being banned from working on campus. 

The incident was captured in a video posted to the Harvard Chabad’s Instagram page and its account on X. The organization has been sponsoring the posters at the request of Israeli students who want to raise awareness for their loved ones, according to the social media posts. The posters have been “torn down almost daily,” so a student “camped out” to see who was responsible. 

The video below contains explicit language.

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A post shared by Harvard Chabad (@harvardchabad)

An argument ensued between the person behind the camera and the worker, who insisted he was doing his job. Another employee eventually gets involved, trying to diffuse the situation. The person taking the video asserts that Harvard’s policy is to take down posters for cleaning on Mondays and Thursdays. The video was taken on Tuesday night, according to Harvard Chabad. 

A spokesperson for Harvard said in a statement to The Harvard Crimson that the university “strongly condemns” the worker’s actions. 

“The contract worker was directed to leave campus, and his employer has been notified that the individual may not be assigned to return to campus to perform work in the future,” the spokesperson, Jason A. Newton, told the Crimson. 

The Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance also commented on the incident in a post on X. 

“With the tension on campus, the lawsuits, the congressional investigation – how easy would it have been for Harvard to give a quick policy refresh to its employees?” the group wrote. “Just apply your own rules equally.”

Posters of Israeli hostages have been seen all over the world since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. Since then, reports of them being torn down or vandalized have been consistent. A dental specialist was fired from her job at Nevins Dental Institute in October after video circulated of her taking down posters at a shopping center in Chestnut Hill. Just last weekend, more than 100 posters and lawn signs in front of a Newton couple’s home were defaced with black spray paint. Newton police labeled the incident a hate crime and are investigating. A few days earlier, a rock was thrown through a window of a Newton home with a sign supporting Israel, according to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. 

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