A look at the Gaza war protests that have emerged on US college campuses

April 24, 2024 Associated Press

A student protester sits among the tents erected at the pro-Palestinian demonstration encampment at Columbia University in New York, Monday April 22, 2024. AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah

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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 separate themselves from any companies that are 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 planned to visit Columbia on Wednesday to meet with Jewish students to address antisemitism on college campuses.

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 (480 kilometers) 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

Trying to stay ahead of protests, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, locked most gates into its famous Harvard Yard ahead of classes Monday and limited access to those with school identification. The school also posted signs that warn against setting up tents or tables on campus without permission.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters earlier this week. Police on Wednesday said that 133 protesters had been taken into custody. They said 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

An encampment at the center of the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor had grown to nearly 40 tents on Tuesday. Almost every student there wore a mask, which was handed to them when they entered. Student protesters declined to identify themselves to reporters, saying they feared retribution by the university.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar attended a protest at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday, hours after nine protesters were arrested when police took down an encampment in front of the library. Hundreds had rallied to demand their release. Omar’s daughter was among the demonstrators arrested at Columbia last week.

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.