Campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war are spreading and intensifying across several American universities. On Tuesday morning, nine University of Minnesota students were arrested hours after they started an encampment on campus. This comes after dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were also arrested in recent days at New York University, Yale and Columbia, the latter of which moved its main campus to a hybrid schedule for the rest of the semester in response to the turmoil.
But the arrests haven’t deterred campus activists from continuing to demonstrate. In fact, the protests have only grown in number across the nation.
Here’s a closer look at what’s happening and why:
🎓 Where have the protests spread?
As pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia entered their seventh day Tuesday, here’s what has happened with solidarity protests at other colleges and universities that have sprouted up across the country:
New York University: Protests at New York University in Manhattan turned chaotic Monday night as protesters reportedly pelted NYPD officers with bottles while trying to disperse the growing crowd at Gould Plaza at the school’s request. Police said they arrested about 150 people, including NYU students and faculty, who refused to disperse, though police said a final talley had not yet been completed.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a Tuesday news conference that outside agitators were taking advantage of the peaceful protests. “There are people who come that have nothing to do with the issue and they want to aggravate,” Adams said. “If those police officers didn’t show a high level of discipline, this could have been an ugly situation.”
Yale University: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators reunited for protests again on Tuesday, just a day after at least 45 protesters, who’d staged an encampment at Beinecke Plaza on campus since Friday night, were arrested Monday morning on trespassing charges.
California State Polytechnic University: The Northern California university’s campus is closed through Wednesday after protesters took over a building on campus.
“The University is deeply concerned about the safety of the protestors who have barricaded themselves inside the building,,” the university said in a statement posted to its website, urging protesters to “listen to directives from law enforcement” and “peacefully leave the building.”
University of California, Berkeley: Demonstrators have set up what they call a “free Palestine encampment” in Sproul Plaza, one of the campus’s central areas. Campus spokesman Dan Mogulof told CNN, “We are getting reports from Jewish students who feel uncomfortable.” Campus police are present and there have been no reports of arrests as of Tuesday afternoon.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: An encampment of at least 20 tents encircled by metal fencing was set up in front of a campus chapel on Tuesday, CNN reports. Protesters want the school to cut its research ties with the Israeli military.
University of Michigan: An encampment of about 20 tents was set up on the main quadrangle Monday, prompting the school to boost its security on campus, according to NBC News.
“We are carefully monitoring the situation and remain prepared to appropriately address any harassment or threats against any member of our community,” Colleen Mastony, the university’s assistant vice president for public affairs, said in a statement.
Harvard University: The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee was suspended and threatened with expulsion if the group doesn’t “cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term,” according to the Harvard Crimson.
Harvard also restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday afternoon, hoping to avoid any pro-Palestinian demonstrators or camps. An email sent to students and faculty who work in that area explained that the closures are “out of an abundance of caution and with the safety of our community as a priority,” according to the Harvard Crimson.
University of Southern California: Hundreds of protesters gathered on campus Sunday in support of the school’s class of 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum. Officials had told Tabassum earlier this month that she was barred from speaking at this year’s graduation ceremony, citing safety concerns due to her pro-Palestinian social media posts.
Emerson College: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators want the college, located in Boston, to support “Palestinian liberation” and had set up tents in an alley off Boylston Street on Monday. Emerson College president Jay Bernhardt said the area is “not solely owned” by the college and is under Boston police jurisdiction.
📢 What has the reaction been?
The White House said Tuesday that President Biden is “of course aware” of the demonstrations that have roiled university campuses. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One that the administration is “monitoring these situations closely.”
On Monday, President Biden condemned reports of antisemitism by protesters on campus, and told reporters, “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
In addition to the White House, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have expressed concern for the safety of Jewish students and spoken out against antisemitism.
New England Patriots owner and Columbia graduate Robert Kraft said in a statement Monday he was “not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.”
↩️ How we got here
Things hit a boiling point at Columbia last Thursday, when over 100 people, including the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, were arrested at a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Columbia president Minouche Shafik had asked the NYPD to help clear the crowd, which had begun amassing the day prior.
Arrests continued over the weekend, prompting Shafik to move to virtual classes Monday over heightened safety concerns. Shafik said in a statement the decision to hold classes virtually was made to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”
The university took things a step further Monday night, announcing a hybrid schedule for the remainder of the school semester at its Morningside main campus in Manhattan.
“Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations,” the statement from provost Angela Olinto and COO Cas Holloway said.
Some Jewish students have reportedly experienced antisemitic harassment, including being told to “go back to Poland.”
An rabbi associated with Columbia messaged nearly 300 Jewish students on Sunday and strongly advised that they return home “until the reality in and around campus has drastically improved.”
Protests at many universities and colleges across the U.S. have remained a flashpoint since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel and killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped roughly 250 hostages. Israel subsequently launched a war against Hamas in Gaza that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinian civilians — about two-thirds of them women and children — according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration encampments on Columbia’s main quad started last Wednesday just before Shafik testified before a congressional committee investigating antisemitism on campus. (The same panel last year grilled two of Shafik’s counterparts at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, who resigned amid backlash for their responses.)
The “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” was set up by a coalition of student organizations that have criticized Columbia’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. They have demanded that the school divest “all economic and academic stakes in Israel,” according to the group’s website.
➡️ What’s next?
The Columbia University chapter of the American Association of University Professors is planning to submit a “resolution of censure” against Shafik, her administration and the co-chairs of the board of trustees to the university senate. It comes after she asked that the NYPD clear the encampment on campus last Thursday, resulting in mass arrests.
The resolution said: “President Shafik’s violation of the fundamental requirements of academic freedom and shared governance, and her unprecedented assault on students’ rights, warrants unequivocal and emphatic condemnation.” The resolution does not seek her resignation, but rather calls for her “recommitment” to the school.
The Columbia AAUP hopes to introduce the resolution to the full university senate on Wednesday, according to NBC News.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
