CONTINUED COVERAGE: Protests at college campuses intensify with hundreds of arrests across the US
Anti-Israel protests have grown and intensified at colleges across the U.S. since the Israel-Hamas war started in October.
Students are calling on their schools to separate from companies that have ties to the Israeli government or advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza.
Students have mostly led the charge, but alums and activists have joined them in some states, with hundreds of people getting arrested or detained throughout the nation.
Tension erupted at Columbia University in New York, where at least 100 arrests were made on April 18, setting off a wave of protests at other schools in the country.
The following is a look at protests on campuses nationwide:
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
People arrested at recent protests at Ohio State in Columbus say they'll continue to use their voices for another evening protest on Wednesday. The gathering has already started.
Most of the people arrested last week, at least two dozen, were not affiliated with the university.
"I think Ohio State has done a very good job," Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said of OSU, which called in troopers from the Ohio State Patrol, some with rifles. "Our goal is to allow demonstrators to peacefully demonstrate to protect others, protect students who want to go to class and students who want to take exams, but also frankly to protect the demonstrators."
A protest is underway at the University of Alabama Wednesday evening, with students gathered on the plaza in front of the student center.
Video from WBMA shows people waving Palestinian flags and holding signs that read, "I stand with Palestine." Officers were observing the scene as students chanted "USA" and "cease fire now."
There also seemed to be a dueling protest, with people who appeared to be Trump supporters on hand.
The university provided the following statement:
The nearly two-week long protest at Columbia reached a boiling point Tuesday, with protestors taking over Hamilton Hall, an administrative building.
Protestors locked arms and carried metal barricades to the building, while some smashed windows and destroyed furniture inside.
Mayor Eric Adams said Columbia requested assistance from the New York Police Department, with hundreds of officers entering the campus wearing full riot gear.
Those who broke into the building did include students. It was led by individuals who are not affiliated with the university. They needed -- the school needed -- the NYPD's assistance to clear Hamilton Hall and the encampments outside," Adams said at a news conference. "There were those who were never concerned about free speech. They were concerned about chaos. It was about external actors hijacking peaceful protests and influence students to escalate. There's nothing peaceful about barricading building, destroying property or dismantling security cameras."Officers took multiple protesters into custody, with Adams saying about 300 people were arrested when police responded to Columbia and nearby City College of New York.
Columbia said Tuesday that students occupying the building face expulsion, that those who did not abide by the deadline terms were being suspended and seniors will be ineligible to graduate on May 15.
"We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions," Ben Chang, who is a University spokesperson, said in a statement. "After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice. Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation."
The encampment in the George Washington University yard remained for a seventh day on Wednesday.
Students at the law school, which is next door, have been finishing up exams and classes this week and said it’s been extremely challenging.
Some students told WJLA they’ve been avoiding campus because it’s so disruptive. Member of the Jewish community said it’s a safety issue for them, as well.
I haven’t been able to use the library here because it’s disruptive. It seemed to me actually like a protest that was simply against the state of Israel at all existing and really had very little to do with the cease-fire,” said David Naftulin, a law student.Meanwhile, Capitol Hill is now getting involved.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky (R-KY) and Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, criticizing the police department for not clearing out the tent city.
The campus has been saturated with campus police who are being assisted by D.C. police.
Some of the student pro-Palestinian protesters are of Jewish Faith, including one of the organizers. She said they just want peace.
We see it absolutely necessary to be out here until divestment. We’ve had Rabbis come in to perform Shabbat service, I’ve been offered kosher for Passover food. We are really trying to make sure everyone’s needs are met,” said Lela Tolajin.The mayor’s office said in a statement that Bowser met with school officials behind closed doors, but did not disclose details.
So far, a handful of students have been suspected but no arrests have been made.
Brown University's Main Green in Providence, Rhode Island was cleared Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters pitched tents there last week.
Gaza Solidarity Encampment spokesperson Arman Deendar told WJAR the university and encampment reached an agreement.
Brown shared the agreement and President Christina Paxson's letter to the campus community.
School officials said five students will be invited to meet with five members of the Corporation of Brown University in May to present their arguments to divest Brown’s endowment from companies contributing to and profiting from the war in Gaza.
Paxson will ask an advisory committee to make a recommendation on divestment by Sept. 30, which will be brought before the school’s governing corporation for a vote in October.
The pressure of us being, staying on the Green, staying here saying we will not move until you listen to our demands really forced her [Paxson] to take action," Deendar told WJAR. "That's something that encampments and students across the country should be noticing is that it's working. They're listening."The encampment was joined by some faculty and community members like John Gallagher.
"The institution -- they should divest. They should divest. The money is going into evil, evil purposes," said Gallagher.
Campus classes at Portland State University (PSU) were cancelled Wednesday due to what the school described as "an ongoing incident" at Miller Library.
Protesters barricaded the library with fences, spraying the walls with messages like “Free Gaza,” as well as expletives.
"All scheduled in-person classes and events held on the PSU campus are canceled," the school noted on its website. "Online and remote activities, programs, and classes can continue as scheduled -- at instructor discretion. Check your syllabus or class communication channels for alternate plans, keeping in mind that some instructors may choose to move in-person classes to remote."
The disruption came as people on campus continue to protest, asking the school to sever ties with Boeing after they claim they provided weapons to Israel.
Demonstrators told KATU they will not come out until their demands are met.
We agree with PSU that this is a public space. But, to not come here and speak with us, to have the mayor ignore us, for them to do an interview where they do good-cop-bad-cop within a 30-minute period -- it’s ridiculous. What do they want us to do with that?” Jay, who is one of the “chains of command” for the operation, told KATU.President Ann Cudd said she spoke with protesters on Saturday and asked them to let students into the library.
Portland Police Association President Aaron Schmautz said protesters are engaging in a felony-level criminal act.
"If they choose not to leave, then officers will use all discretion and necessary to protect themselves and protect the community," he said.
As protests continued Wednesday at the University of Texas at Austin, many of the 79 people who were arrested on Monday started being released from the Travis County Jail.
Half the protests on campus within the last week were met with a heavy police presence, including help from Texas law enforcement agencies.
School administrators said law enforcement confiscated weapons from protestors during the last few days of demonstrations. Weapons included guns, buckets of large rocks, bricks, steel-enforced wood planks, mallets, and chains.
We will continue to call upon the DPS to secure our campus when needed," the University of Texas System Board of Regents said in a statement to KEYE.While free speech is fundamental to our educational institutions, it is violated when it includes threats to campus safety," the statement also noted.Tuesday's demonstration was planned by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), who gathered at the school's South Lawn despite their ongoing suspension.
He added that he believes "the university is very clearly and very blatantly trying to silence and suppress protests."
Texas republican lawmaker, Chip Roy, spoke to KEYE and expressed his support for UT Austin for their quick response to what he called, "campus threats."
The leadership at the University of Texas has done a phenomenal job, in my opinion, of protecting free speech rights while maintaining order," he said.Adam said his organization, PSC, has never incited violence. He said they will continue protesting until the university divests in weapon manufacturers.
"The reality of the fact is this: this university is sending tens of billions of dollars to companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Boeing, that are actually dropping bombs on innocent civilians and innocent children," said Adam.
Campus administrators said they would call for additional help from law enforcement and continue making arrests if necessary.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) said they are choosing to protest.
Nebraska for Peace shared a post announcing that UNL & UNO, along with Nebraska for Palestine and Lincoln for Palestine, planned to gather "in solidarity" with Palestine Wednesday at UNL Nebraska City Union by the fountain. The post included photos detailing preparations for the protest, a schedule, safety information, and a map.
According to a release from UNL, Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett reminded everyone that the university has had a longstanding and steadfast commitment to free speech and the exchange of ideas.
UNL said that no tents or establishment of encampment will be allowed.
The University of California, Los Angeles, canceled classes Wednesday after opposing groups of protesters pushed, kicked, and hit one another with sticks Tuesday night into Wednesday.
After a couple of hours of scuffles between demonstrators, police wearing helmets and face shield separated the groups and quelled the violence. The scene was calm as day broke.
Still, UCLA canceled classes and shut down a few buildings, including Powell Library, which is set to reopen Monday.
Due to the distress caused by the violence that took place on Royce Quad late last night and early this morning, all classes are cancelled today," the school noted on its website, as well as in a post on X. "Please avoid the Royce Quad area."The school also said Royce Hall will be closed through Friday, advising students to check for notifications from their instructors with information about class locations when classes resume.
"Student Affairs will have essential staff on campus to support our students who have been impacted by this tragedy," the school noted, adding that there is a "law enforcement presence stationed throughout campus to help promote safety."
Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications, said in a Tuesday statement that anyone involved in blocking classroom access could face expulsion or suspension.
While a weeklong occupation of the administration building at the California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, ended early Tuesday morning, the ongoing protest led to the school making some big changes ahead of its upcoming commencement.
Plus, the university on Wednesday said at least 30 people were arrested, adding that the school will continue a "hard closure of campus through May 10," which means no one is allowed to enter or be on the 8,000-student campus without permission.
Access to campus is restricted, and individuals are not permitted to enter or be on campus without prior authorization. Supervisors will contact those employees who are authorized to be on campus. Failure to follow this directive may lead to corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. There are limited services available, and work and instruction continue remotely."Among those detained was KRCR Reporter Adelmi Ruiz who was livestreaming while it happened. She was eventually taken away by law enforcement with the protestors. To be clear, Ruiz was detained—not arrested—by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officers.
Ruiz said she was just doing her job, recording the ongoing protests and arrests at the campus before she was asked away by officers.
When asked how she was treated while covering the protests, from both protestors and law enforcement, Ruiz explained that, although tensions were high, everything was relatively "fine."
The school noted residents "are allowed to come and go from campus, and may utilize spaces in their residence hall and access dining facilities near them."
The university also said the school will hold a modified in-person commencement with local ceremonies on May 11, adding that more details will be announced later this week.
Footage shared on social media reportedly shows a look inside a campus building, with desks overturned, doors unhinged, and graffiti on the walls that read, "Free Gaza,” and “Stop the genocide."
Damage to the school since protests started on April 22 is estimated to be more than $1 million, California state Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, a Democrat whose district includes the campus, said Tuesday.
“Let’s be clear -- it’s going to take time to heal, McGuire said. “Cal Poly Humboldt must be a campus where all faiths and students of all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and included. This has not been the case for Humboldt’s Jewish students and others over the past week.”
Most students at Yale University chose to end their encampment instead of facing suspension or arrest, with the school clearing tents and other items from campus this week.
Students stood their ground at first, by eventually complied.
Over the past several days, administrators communicated to protesters that their encampment and activities violated the university’s policies and were disrupting academic and university operations," the school said in a statement. "Several attempts by Pericles Lewis, Dean of Yale College, to convince the protestors that they had other means besides occupying Cross Campus to get their message heard were unsuccessful. The tent encampment was located near student dorms, libraries, and classrooms, where many students are writing their final papers and studying for final exams."By Tuesday, the school said it issued final warnings, with many protestors eventually moving on. The school said some protesters continued to picket along nearby streets after leaving the encampment, but no arrests were made.
The university does not tolerate the violation of its longstanding policies on using on-campus outdoor spaces, postering and chalking, or the use of amplified sound," according to the statement. "Yale’s rules on free expression and peaceable assembly exist to ensure that all members of the community have equitable access to the campus and can engage in the full functions of the university.On April 22, police arrested nearly 50 people, including 44 students.
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Police moved in on a campus encampment at the Storrs, Connecticut, school Tuesday morning and arrested 25 protesters after giving them several warnings to leave, UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said.
Twenty-four of those arrested were students; one was a former student. They were charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct after university officials said they repeatedly ignored directives by campus police to remove tents and disperse from an encampment first set up on April 24.
Tuesday’s arrests came a day after protest leaders met with university officials.
Chris Eisgruber, who is the president at Princeton University, said a small group of students were arrested after they "briefly occupied" Clio Hall Monday night.
He said 13 people, including five undergraduates, six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher and one person not affiliated with the school, were arrested in connection to the protest, adding that no one was hurt.
All those arrested received summonses for trespassing and have been barred from campus," Eisgruber said in a statement, which was shared on the school's Instagram account. "The students will also face University discipline, which may extend to suspension or expulsion."Eisgruber added that the behavior is upsetting and "completely unacceptable."
"Everyone on this campus needs to feel safe and to be safe. Faculty, students, and staff must be able to conduct University business without disruption, harassment, or threat," he noted. "We will continue to work to ensure that this campus is one where all members of the community feel welcome and can thrive. I am grateful to our Free Expression Facilitators and Department of Public Safety for quickly resolving this incident, with assistance from the Princeton Police Department. We will continue to be in communication with you about how we move forward together as a community during a period that has challenged colleges and universities across the country."
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
In a statement, protesters said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school “has sought to shut off all outside access and visibility to the encampment."
"Meanwhile, the Harvard administration has initiated disciplinary action against nearly forty students and student workers,” the statement said.
Last week, Harvard limited access to its famous Harvard Yard to those with school identification after a camp was set up.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
The school in Evanston, Illinois, said Monday that it had reached an agreement with students and faculty who represent the majority of protesters on its campus since Thursday.
The university said in a statement that it agrees to answer questions within 30 days about specific holdings and investments. It also said it would reconvene an advisory committee to ensure “any vendor who profits from the Israeli occupation" will not provide services on campus. The statement said the university plans to further invest in supporting Muslim and Jewish life on campus.
Northwestern says it will permit peaceful demonstrations that comply with university policies through June 1, which is the end of spring quarter classes.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Encampment organizers met with university President Carol Folt for about 90 minutes Monday. Folt declined to discuss details of what was discussed but said the purpose of the meeting was to allow her to hear the concerns of protesters. Another meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.
The university has canceled its main graduation ceremony, set for May 10. It already canceled a commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns.
VIRGINIA TECH
A protest at the school in Blacksburg resulted in 82 arrests, including 53 students, a university spokesperson said Monday.
Protesters began occupying the lawn of the graduate life center Friday. After protesters took further steps to occupy the lawn and outdoor spaces Sunday, the university advised those gathered to disperse. Those who failed to comply were warned they would be charged with trespassing, the university said.
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
Tents were erected Tuesday on the school's Chicago-area campus. The university said in a letter that tents and other structures without permits violate school policies. The school also warned that actions that interfere with operations, damage property or are disruptive will lead to disciplinary measures, including suspension, expulsion and criminal sanctions.
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
Dozens of students, faculty and staff camped out overnight at the Cleveland school hours after a similar encampment had been broken up and more than 20 people were detained but later released.
School officials initially had said protests would be limited to daylight hours but announced Monday night that students and others affiliated with the school would be allowed to stay at the makeshift encampment on the school’s public green.
Officials were checking the participants’ identification before they were given wristbands signifying they could remain at the site. Roughly 100 people camped out overnight without incident, officials said.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
About 30 people were detained by campus police Tuesday morning after the university said encampment protesters refused to leave. At 5:30 a.m., a university statement said protesters needed to remove tents and other items and leave the area by 6 a.m. or risk arrest.
Clearing out the encampment took approximately 45 minutes, according to the university. The university had not responded to a query about whether protesters were arrested and charged.
Tensions escalated Tuesday afternoon when protesters removed the American flag from a flagpole on campus central grounds and replaced it with a Palestinian flag, according to news outlets on the scene. Police then rehung the American flag as protesters and counter-protesters circled the area.
The university issued an alert that classes were canceled for the rest of Tuesday, the last day of scheduled classes.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Nine people, including six students, were arrested at the Gainesville university — where about 50 people began protesting last week — by campus police and state troopers Monday.
Steve Orlando, the school’s associate vice president of communications, said many of the protesters were “outside agitators” and they had been warned for many days that prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order, barring them from campus for three years. Individuals who didn’t comply were arrested after campus police gave them multiple warnings, he said.
READ MORE: Gov. DeSantis has strong words for campus protesters
Last week, university officials warned that students could face suspension and employees could be fired if they violated a series of rules.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
The Ann Arbor school told students, staff and faculty in a letter Friday that its upcoming commencement ceremonies likely will be the site of “various student expressions, including possible demonstrations.” Last week, a demonstration at the center of the campus had grown to nearly 40 tents.
The letter noted that school policies “make clear that interfering with speakers and events is not protected speech and is a violation of university policy.”
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
At the Richmond, Virginia, campus, demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war clashed with police Monday night after officers tried to remove a makeshift encampment.
Protesters put up tents and built a barricade with shipping pallets. Police, some wearing riot gear, charged the line of demonstrators to clear the crowd, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Some protesters were seen hurling water bottles and other objects at police.
VCU said in a statement Tuesday that 13 people, including six VCU students, were charged with unlawful assembly and trespassing. VCU said officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
TULANE UNIVERSITY
Several dozen protesters camped in about a dozen small tents on a grassy area near an administration building Monday at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Tulane police “moved in immediately to attempt to stop the encampment," the administration said in a Tuesday afternoon news release. It added that university officials are “now focused on containing and ending the protest” at the direction of New Orleans police and Louisiana state police.
The university said six people were arrested and five students suspended after a Monday confrontation with police. The Students for a Democratic Society organization also was suspended.
About 2 p.m. Tuesday, university officials wheeled a portable electronic sign onto the lawn. “PRIVATE PROPERTY—NO TRESPASSING,” it read. “Everyone must leave this area immediately.”
The university said some classes would be held remotely.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Police arrested protesters Monday who tried to set up an encampment at the university northeast of Atlanta. A spokesperson wouldn’t say how many people were arrested on the final day of classes before spring exams.
Athens-Clarke County jail records showed that University of Georgia police had booked 12 people into the jail by midafternoon on criminal trespassing charges. State troopers aided university police.
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Protesters erected an encampment at the Salt Lake City school Monday. About two dozen tents were set up on the lawn outside the university president’s office, and roughly 200 students held protest signs and Palestinian flags. Later Monday, dozens of officers in riot gear sought to break up the encampment.
Police dragged students off by their hands and feet, snapping the poles holding up tents and zip-tying those who refused to disperse. Twenty arrests were made. The university says it is against code to camp overnight on school property, and the students were given several warnings to disperse before police were called in.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Student protest groups posted on social media Tuesday that their encampment of dozens of tents and hundreds of people was still standing, even after police ordered them to disperse Monday night. More than 10 university buildings, including a student union and large library, near the encampment remained closed in anticipation of continued protests.
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
In Albuquerque, police in tactical gear tore down tents and clashed briefly with protesters who occupied the University of New Mexico’s student union building for about seven hours Monday night into Tuesday morning.
University officials said 16 people were arrested, including five students and 11 people not affiliated with the school. They said the protesters vandalized the student union building and sprayed-painted graffiti across campus. They didn’t immediately provide a damage estimate.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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