Harvard University funding frozen over activism on campus

A student protester stands in front of the statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza (Ben Curtis/AP)

The US federal government says it is freezing more than 2.2 billion dollars in grants and 60 million US dollars in contracts to Harvard University, after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus.

The hold on Harvard’s funding marks the seventh time President Donald Trump’s administration has taken the step at one of the nation’s most elite colleges, in an attempt to force compliance with Mr Trump’s political agenda.