Why activists are celebrating the closing of Tufts’ Confucius Institute
Julia Taliesin
18 March 2021
On March 13, a coalition of activist groups held their 13th protest calling on Tufts University to close the Confucius Institute. A 14th protest was planned for the next weekend, but on March 17 Tufts announced it would not be renewing the agreement with the institute, effectively closing the Tufts University Confucius Institute by this September.
Several organizations, including Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), the Boston Uygher Association, and Hong Kong Social Action Movements Boston, have been protesting Tufts having a Chinese government-sponsored institute on campus as the Chinese Communist Party carries out genocide, occupation, and crimes against humanity.
“This is a victory for all Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Taiwanese, and Chinese activists and students, as well as our allies living in the Somerville and Medford area who have protested the Tufts CI,” said SFT organizer Tenzin Yangzom. “We refused to accept that the Chinese government — the very regime that has driven us from our homelands — had a home at Tufts, and a presence in our own backyard. We know our actions helped President Monaco and Tufts University realize, finally, that a partnership with a government committing genocide does not align with the values of Tufts students nor the surrounding community.”
