How the Columbia protests sparked campus demonstrations across the country
It just added fuel to the fire.
The decision by Columbia University’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, to call in the New York Police Department to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from the campus last week appears to have sparked the spate of increasingly strident demonstrations that have erupted at universities in New York City and across the country in recent days, students and faculty members said.
Since Thursday, when police arrested 108 Columbia University demonstrators, similar protests have erupted on campuses across the country.
The encampment at Columbia sprung up April 17, the day Shafik was grilled about on-campus antisemitism by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Shafik faced questions about her handling of antisemitism on campus after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 alongside two members of Columbia’s Board of Trustees and the head of its antisemitism task force. The next day, Shafik had police clear the encampment; more than 100 protesters were arrested.
93 arrested at University of Southern California, police say
The Los Angeles Police Department said late tonight that 93 people were arrested at today’s protest at the University of Southern California.
There were no injuries, the LAPD said on X. The arrests were for trespassing.
“Patrols will remain in the area through tomorrow,” the department said.
Group outside Travis County Jail in Austin chants ‘let them out’
AUSTIN, Texas — Around 150 people outside the Travis County Jail in Austin chanted “let them out” and “free Palestine” tonight after more than 30 people were arrested in demonstrations at the University of Texas at Austin.
At least 34 people were arrested at the demonstration at the university earlier today, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
University President Jay Hartzell said that a group tried to “occupy” part of the campus in protest over the war in Gaza, broke university policies and refused multiple requests to leave.
The demonstrators outside the jail tonight beat on a drum and chanted, “All charges have got to go.”
UT Austin faculty condemn leadership, say they won’t teach tomorrow
A letter that says it is from “concerned UT Austin faculty” condemned university leaders and said faculty members won’t work tomorrow because of the school’s “militarized response” to a student event.
“No business as usual tomorrow. No classes. No grading. No work. No assignments,” the letter read. It was not clear from the letter how many faculty members planned to participate.
A university spokesperson said the administration had seen the statement but would not comment on it.
Several professors shared the letter today on social media. It called out President Jay Hartzell and other administrators for allowing police on the campus and turning it into a “militarized zone” in response to a planned “Public University for Gaza” event on the school’s main lawn.
The planned event featured no threat of violence, no disruption to classes and no intimidation of the campus community, the letter noted.
“We are deeply concerned about our students’ well-being and safety,” the letter read. “We have witnessed police punching a female student, knocking over a legal observer, dragging a student over a chain link fence, and violently arresting students simply for standing at the front of the crowd.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter.
Students at University of Michigan encampment vow to stay
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Around 120 people gathered to hear speeches at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor today condemning the war in Gaza, while those at an encampment there vowed to stay until their demands are met.
Those at the encampment in support of Gaza say they want the university to “divest,” a demand also made at other colleges that they not support entities that could be linked to the war and sometimes not to invest in Israel.
The university says it shields decisions about investments from outside pressure.
“Regarding the calls for divestment, the university has had a policy in place for nearly 20 years that shields the university’s investments from political pressures,” a spokesperson has said.
“Much of the money invested through the university’s endowment, for example, is donor funding given to provide long-term financial support for designated purposes,” the spokesperson said.
Derek Peterson, an African history professor, today saluted the protesters.
“The insults to humanity that’s going on in Gaza today requires action and not simple passive response," he said.
‘Our University will not be occupied,' UT Austin president says
The president of the University of Texas at Austin called today “a challenging day” but said protesters will not be allowed to break the school's rules and policies.
“Our University will not be occupied,” President Jay Hartzell said.
“The protesters tried to deliver on their stated intent to occupy campus. People not affiliated with UT joined them, and many ignored University officials’ continual pleas for restraint and to immediately disperse,” Hartzell wrote.
Protesters against the war in Gaza have attempted to set up encampments at universities all over the country to show their opposition for the conflict.
Hartzell said the university respects free speech but will take all necessary steps to ensure it can continue to operate without interruption.
At least 34 arrests made at UT Austin, Texas police say
As of 9 p.m. local time, there have been 34 arrests at the University of Texas at Austin after demonstrations opposing the war in Gaza, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Around 50 arrested at USC, police say
Los Angeles police said around 50 people have been arrested so far at the University of Southern California after protesters refused to leave the central campus, NBC Los Angeles reported.
The demonstration earlier prompted the school's provost to restrict access to the University Park campus after he said "their actions have escalated to include acts of vandalism, defacing campus buildings and structures, as well as physical confrontation that threatens the safety of our officers and campus community."
Police moved in at around 6 p.m. PT after warnings were issued that those who remained would be subject to arrest.
Police detaining protesters at USC campus
Police at the University of Southern California began detaining demonstrators in plastic hand restraints after a group of Gaza war protesters refused to leave.
Officers took demonstrators one by one to police vans, video from NBC Los Angeles at the scene showed. Others stood by and watched from around the area.
After being warned to leave or face arrest, a group of demonstrators locked arms in a circle and chanted that they wanted USC to disclose its investments and divest from entities associated with war.
The arrests appeared to be orderly and peaceful.
Jewish Federation of Los Angeles calls campus protests alarming
A Jewish group in Los Angeles today called the tone of protests on campus against the war in Gaza alarming and said it was concerned about antisemitism.
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles issued the statement on the day a demonstration on the campus of the University of Southern California, which is in Los Angeles, devolved into vandalism and confrontations, according to the university.
“While we believe in peaceful civic discourse, these protests have escalated to the point of creating a dangerous climate for Jews on campus,” the Jewish Federation said in a statement.
According to authorities in Gaza, more than 30,000 people have been killed in the enclave in Israel's response to Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, which killed about 1,200 people.