(NEXSTAR) – A surge of demonstrations in support of Palestine expanded on Wednesday, with college students from various parts of the country marching, camping out, and, in some cases, being arrested by the police.
At the University of Texas at Austin, dozens of local police and state troopers formed a line to prevent students from marching through the campus, eventually clashing with the protesters and detaining multiple people. And at the University of Southern California, police removed several tents, then got into a back-and-forth tugging match with protesters over tents before falling back.
Student protests over Israel’s war with Hamas have popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.
The students are calling for universities to distance themselves from any companies involved in advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.
Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.
A look at protests on campuses in recent days:
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Pro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League university in New York last week. Police first tried to clear the encampment on Thursday, when they arrested more than 100 protesters. But the move backfired, acting as an inspiration for other students across the country and motivating protesters at Columbia to regroup.
University officials said early Wednesday that they were extending a deadline for protesters to clear out. They said the demonstrators had committed to removing a significant number of tents and agreed that only students would remain at the encampment. They also said they would make the encampment more welcoming by banning any discriminatory language or harassing messages. The encampment on the upper Manhattan campus appeared calm and a little smaller on Wednesday morning.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia on Wednesday to meet with Jewish students to address antisemitism on college campuses. He criticized Columbia University President Minouche Shafik’s leadership, and called for her resignation.
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, HUMBOLDT
Students at the university used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block entrances to an academic and administrative building on Monday. Protesters chanted, “We are not afraid of you!” before officers in riot gear pushed into them at the building’s entrance, video shows. University officials closed the campus through Wednesday. They said in a statement Tuesday that students had occupied a second building and three students had been arrested. Humboldt is located about 300 miles north of San Francisco.
EMERSON COLLEGE
About 80 students and other supporters at Emerson College occupied a busy courtyard on the downtown Boston campus Tuesday. College officials on Wednesday warned the students that some of the protesters were in violation of city ordinances, including by blocking a right-of-way and fire hydrants, and violating noise laws. The school said the alley where some protesters have set up tents is owned by the city, and Boston police have warned of imminent law enforcement action. The college said in a statement that campus police were offering escort services for students after officials received credible reports of some protesters engaging in “targeted harassment and intimidation of Jewish supporters of Israel.”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, locked most gates into its famous Harvard Yard before classes on Monday to prevent protests and limited access to those with school identification. The school also posted signs warning against setting up tents or tables on campus without permission.
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
At New York University, a student encampment grew to hundreds of protesters earlier this week. Police said that 133 protesters were taken into custody on Wednesday, but all were released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, had set up about 30 tents as of Tuesday.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, an encampment at the center of the campus had expanded to nearly 40 tents on Tuesday. Almost every student there wore a mask, provided to them upon entry. Student protesters refused to reveal their identities to reporters out of fear of retribution by the university.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar attended a protest at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday, following the arrest of nine protesters when police removed an encampment in front of the library. Hundreds had gathered to demand their release. Omar’s daughter was among the demonstrators arrested at Columbia last week.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A clash occurred at the University of Southern California on Wednesday between protesters and police. Video reviewed by Nexstar’s KTLA showed an officer using a baton. Helicopter footage showed students surrounding a police vehicle, which they believed had wrongly detained a student inside. The police had been dismantling tents erected by student protesters. USC Public Safety Assistant Chief David Carlisle told KTLA that while students have the right to protest, they are not allowed to camp on school property. The school ended up closing its campus to the public Wednesday afternoon, restricting access only to students,
NewsNation reported
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN Several protesters were detained after a student walkout and demonstration on the UT Austin campus on Wednesday..
The school’s Office of the Dean of Students sent a letter to protest organizers before the event, urging them to cancel. The letter,
obtained by Nexstar’s KXAN
, reads in part, “Please be advised that you are not permitted to hold your event on the University campus. Any attempt to do so will subject your organization and its attending members to discipline including suspension under the Institutional Rules. Individuals not affiliated with the University and attempting to attend this event will be directed to leave campus. Refusal to comply may result in arrest.” Texas police and public safety officials did not immediately confirm the number of people arrested. One KXAN reporter on scene saw at least 10 people being detained around 2:45 p.m.YALE UNIVERSITY
Police arrested 48 protesters, including four who were not students, after they refused to leave an encampment on a plaza at the center of Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, on Monday.
What do students want?
The students want universities to cut ties with companies supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza and, in some cases, with Israel itself.
Protests at many colleges have been organized by coalitions of
student groups
, often involving local chapters of organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. They’re coming together as umbrella groups, such as MIT’s Coalition Against Apartheid and the University of Michigan’s Tahrir Coalition. The groups mostly operate separately, but students say they’re inspired by peers at other colleges. The demands differ from campus to campus. They include:Ending business relationships with manufacturers supplying arms to Israel.
Refusing research funding from Israel for projects benefiting its military efforts.
- Withdrawing college endowments from money managers profiting from Israeli companies or contractors.
- Increasing transparency about funding from Israel and its usage.
- In recent weeks, student governments at some colleges have passed resolutions urging the cessation of investments and academic partnerships with Israel. Such resolutions were approved by student bodies at Columbia, Harvard Law, Rutgers, and American University.
- On Wednesday, a surge of pro-Palestinian protests expanded as college students across the country marched, camped out, and, in some cases, were detained by police.
Student governments at some colleges in recent weeks have passed resolutions calling for an end to investments and academic partnerships with Israel. Such bills were passed by student bodies at Columbia, Harvard Law, Rutgers and American University.
