What to know about pro-Palestine university protests, from Texas to California
(NEXSTAR) – A wave of pro-Palestinian protest grew even larger Wednesday as college students around the country marched, camped out and, in some cases, were taken into police custody.
At the University of Texas at Austin, dozens of local police and state troopers formed a line to prevent students from marching through the campus, eventually clashing with the protesters and detaining multiple people. And at the University of Southern California, police removed several tents, then got into a back-and-forth tugging match with protesters over tents before falling back.
Student protests over Israel’s war with Hamas have popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following last week's arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.
The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.
Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.
A look at protests on campuses in recent days:
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Pro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League university in New York last week. Police first tried to clear the encampment on Thursday, when they arrested more than 100 protesters. But the move backfired, acting as an inspiration for other students across the country and motivating protesters at Columbia to regroup.
University officials said early Wednesday that they were extending a deadline for protesters to clear out. They said the demonstrators had committed to removing a significant number of tents and agreed that only students would remain at the encampment. They also said they would make the encampment more welcoming by banning any discriminatory language or harassing messages. The encampment on the upper Manhattan campus appeared calm and a little smaller on Wednesday morning.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia on Wednesday to meet with Jewish students to address antisemitism on college campuses. He criticized Columbia University President Minouche Shafik's leadership, and called for her resignation.
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, HUMBOLDT
Students at the university used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block entrances to an academic and administrative building on Monday. Protesters chanted, “We are not afraid of you!” before officers in riot gear pushed into them at the building’s entrance, video shows. University officials closed the campus through Wednesday. They said in a statement Tuesday that students had occupied a second building and three students had been arrested. Humboldt is located about 300 miles north of San Francisco.
EMERSON COLLEGE
About 80 students and other supporters at Emerson College occupied a busy courtyard on the downtown Boston campus Tuesday. College officials on Wednesday warned the students that some of the protesters were in violation of city ordinances, including by blocking a right-of-way and fire hydrants, and violating noise laws. The school said the alley where some protesters have set up tents is owned by the city, and Boston police have warned of imminent law enforcement action. The college said in a statement that campus police were offering escort services for students after officials received credible reports of some protesters engaging in “targeted harassment and intimidation of Jewish supporters of Israel."
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Trying to stay ahead of protests, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, locked most gates into its famous Harvard Yard ahead of classes Monday and limited access to those with school identification. The school also posted signs that warn against setting up tents or tables on campus without permission.
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters earlier this week. Police on Wednesday said that 133 protesters had been taken into custody. They said all were released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, had set up about 30 tents as of Tuesday.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
An encampment at the center of the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor had grown to nearly 40 tents on Tuesday. Almost every student there wore a mask, which was handed to them when they entered. Student protesters declined to identify themselves to reporters, saying they feared retribution by the university.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar attended a protest at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday, hours after nine protesters were arrested when police took down an encampment in front of the library. Hundreds had rallied to demand their release. Omar’s daughter was among the demonstrators arrested at Columbia last week.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Protesters and police clashed at the University of Southern California Wednesday. Video reviewed by Nexstar's KTLA showed an officer whipping out a baton. Helicopter video showed students surrounding a police vehicle which they believed had a wrongly detained student inside.
Police had been removing tents erected by student protesters. USC Public Safety Assistant Chief David Carlisle told KTLA while students have the right to protest, they are not allowed to camp on school property.
The school ended up closing its campus to the public Wednesday afternoon, restricting access only to students, NewsNation reported.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Several protesters were detained following a student walkout and demonstration on the UT Austin campus Wednesday.
The school's Office of the Dean of Students sent a letter to protest organizers before the event, urging them to cancel. The letter, obtained by Nexstar's KXAN, reads in part, "Please be advised that you are not permitted to hold your event on the University campus. Any attempt to do so will subject your organization and its attending members to discipline including suspension under the Institutional Rules. Individuals not affiliated with the University and attempting to attend this event will be directed to leave campus. Refusal to comply may result in arrest."
Texas police and public safety officials did not immediately confirm the number of people arrested. One KXAN reporter on scene saw at least 10 people being detained around 2:45 p.m.
YALE UNIVERSITY
Police arrested 48 protesters, including four who were not students, after they refused to leave an encampment on a plaza at the center of Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, on Monday.
What are students demanding?
The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel's military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.
Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups, often including local chapters of organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. They're banding together as umbrella groups, such as MIT's Coalition Against Apartheid and the University of Michigan's Tahrir Coalition. The groups largely act independently, though students say they're inspired by peers at other universities.
The demands vary from campus to campus. Among them:
- Stop doing business with military weapons manufacturers that are supplying arms to Israel.
- Stop accepting research money from Israel for projects that aid the country's military efforts.
- Stop investing college endowments with money managers who profit from Israeli companies or contractors.
- Be more transparent about what money is received from Israel and what it's used for.
Student governments at some colleges in recent weeks have passed resolutions calling for an end to investments and academic partnerships with Israel. Such bills were passed by student bodies at Columbia, Harvard Law, Rutgers and American University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.