Protests have erupted on various college campuses throughout the United States in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas. The arrest of over 100 demonstrators at Columbia University last week sparked protests that have since spread to other cities, including Boston and Los Angeles.
Pro-Palestinian student activists at Columbia University set up tent camps, which were repeatedly cleared by police, but the protests continued to inspire similar demonstrations across the country.
At the University of Texas at Austin, more than two dozen student protesters and a local news photographer were arrested. Governor Greg Abbott condemned the protests and advocated for the expulsion of students involved, labeling them as “antisemitic protests.”
Over 90 people were arrested at the University of Southern California for alleged trespassing during a protest, with an altercation resulting in one arrest for alleged assault with a deadly weapon. At Ohio State University, two pro-Palestinian students were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing after disruptive behavior during a protest.
Harvard University took measures to prevent anticipated protests, including locking gates and limiting access to Harvard Yard, but student activists set up tents anyway.
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Protests also occurred at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where clashes with police led to campus closure. In Boston, over 100 arrests were made at Emerson College, with police reporting injuries among officers. Police dismantled a protest camp at Emory University in Atlanta, resulting in numerous arrests, including the use of a stun gun on a protester. Similar protests and arrests took place at the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Yale University, and the University of California, Berkeley.
The protests are part of a growing student movement that demands universities cut ties with companies supporting Israel’s military efforts and, in some cases, with Israel itself. These events highlight the need for change and how the Israel-Hamas war is affecting people worldwide.
