US riot police storm US colleges amid violence during Gaza protests. See list
Tensions are boiling over at college campuses across the country as police move in to break up protest encampments, clear out occupied buildings, and make arrests.
The demonstrations have turned violent at some schools, with clashes erupting between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators.
At campuses from New York to Dallas and Washington, DC, demonstrators are demanding schools sever financial ties to Israel and grant amnesty to students for rule breaking, among other goals. The showdowns have sparked recriminations and support from politicians, faculty and billionaire donors.
With commencement quickly approaching, the pressure on administrators is on. Their strategies have varied from heavy handed to hands-off. Here’s a look at the latest developments at several institutions across the country.
Fordham University: On Wednesday morning, dozens of protesters pushed their way into the Lincoln Center campus and set up tents. After repeated warnings, the NYPD arrested 15 people for trespassing and cleared out the encampment.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt: Police arrested about 35 people, including students and professors, who had taken over two buildings. The school on Wednesday announced the campus will remain closed through at least the end of the semester and that a “modified” graduation ceremony will be held at an off-campus location.
University of California at Los Angeles: UCLA suspended classes on Wednesday after early morning unrest at a pro-Palestinian encampment, according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper said a group of counter-demonstrators tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the protest area. Pro-Palestinian protesters later used pepper spray on those demonstrators, it said.
City College of New York: The college is moving to remote learning, after New York police descended on the campus late Tuesday night, clearing an encampment and arresting more than 160 people.
Columbia University: Police officers entered the campus Tuesday, breaking up an escalating protest and arresting more than 100 demonstrators, some of whom had barricaded themselves in a building. Columbia President Minouche Shafik said she asked police to maintain a campus presence through at least May 17, two days after graduation.
Tufts University: After the school issued a “no trespass order” to students at an encampment, President Sunil Kumar was scheduled to meet with protesters on Wednesday, the Tufts Daily newspaper reported.
Yale University: On Tuesday morning, officers from Yale and New Haven evacuated the pro-Palestine protest site at Campus Cross, according to Yale Daily News. Police were able to clear the encampment without arrests, though protesters vowed to return.
Brown University: Protesters at the Ivy League school agreed to dismantle their encampment after striking a deal that allows them to present their divestment proposal to the university’s governing body. The administration agreed that protesting students won’t be subject to suspension or expulsion.
Princeton University: Thirteen people were arrested on Monday after hundreds of students took over a university building and erected barricades. Protesters surrounded the bus carrying the arrested students until they were released.
George Washington University: One week into the campus demonstrations, lawmaker visited the site, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who said Congress will do everything in its power to restore “law and order.”
University of Texas – Dallas: More than a dozen protesters were arrested on Wednesday afternoon after law enforcement broke up an encampment that pro-Palestinian students set up in the early morning hours, where hundreds of people had gathered, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Harvard University: Administrators haven’t sought to clear out an encampment on Harvard Yard, instead threatening sanctions and restricting access, according to the Harvard Crimson. Final exams initially scheduled for Harvard Hall are being relocated outside Harvard Yard.