Anti-war protesters stand firm from coast to coast as universities, police respond

From coast to coast, students in the U.S. have set up encampments on university campuses protesting the Israel-Hamas war, with some universities moving to dismantle these camps and arresting numerous demonstrators amid allegations of antisemitic behavior.

As casualties mount in Gaza, protesters across the U.S. are urging universities to sever financial relationships with Israel and divest from companies they argue are complicit in the conflict. These demonstrations have stirred fears among some Jewish students, who report feeling unsafe on their campuses due to instances of antisemitism.

At Columbia University in New York, the initial site of these protests, students have engaged in ongoing dialogues with university administrators. Columbia has denied rumors of impending lockdowns or evictions and has delayed removing the encampment, noting that involving the police again would not be constructive at this moment.

Several universities, including those in California, Georgia, and Texas, have seen faculty members express their discontent with university leadership through votes of no confidence, although these gestures do not carry the power to dismiss university presidents.

In St. Louis, Washington University had to lock certain campus buildings and, with the assistance of local police, arrested protesters. The protests, which reportedly remained peaceful until police intervention, involved notable figures including Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein.

The University of Southern California responded to campus disruptions by temporarily closing its University Park Campus to non-residents, following vandalism linked to the protests. USC administrators have repeatedly attempted to engage with the protesters, emphasizing a commitment to free expression but condemning the acts of vandalism and harassment.

In Boston, Northeastern University’s police in riot gear cleared a protest camp, arresting around 102 demonstrators on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Northeastern stated that the protest had been overtaken by professional activists and marred by antisemitic remarks, claims that student groups involved have disputed.

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the president expressed concerns over the sustainability of maintaining safety around a protest camp, citing significant resource allocation and external disruptions.

Indiana University and Arizona State University also took action against encampments, leading to several arrests for violations of university policies and criminal trespass.

These university protests, which have spread nationwide, began in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza following an attack by Hamas on October 7, where militants killed about 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages. This has led to a devastating toll, with over 34,000 Palestinians reported killed in the ongoing conflict. While Israel and its allies view the campus protests as antisemitic, organizers, including some Jewish participants, argue they are advocating for Palestinian rights and protesting the war in a peaceful manner.