Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters were arrested across U.S. college campuses as demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war escalated. The protesters are demanding an end to the conflict and calling for their schools to divest from companies linked to Israel.
The protests began at Columbia University in New York City and have since spread to other institutions, including Yale University, MIT, Tufts, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley. The demonstrations have been met with police intervention, leading to hundreds of arrests nationwide and increasing pressure on school officials.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, physical altercations broke out after a barrier separating pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups was breached. The university confirmed the incident and expressed disappointment over the violence.
Columbia University's president, Minouche Shafik, has faced criticism for allowing the New York Police Department to disperse protesters on campus, resulting in arrests and sparking similar protests across the U.S. Shafik stated that negotiations with the protesters have broken down and confirmed that the university would not divest from Israel.
The nationwide protests have also led to concerns about antisemitism on campuses. Both Jewish students and students expressing views supporting Palestinians have reported harassment, leading to safety concerns. Northeastern University in Boston reported 'virulent antisemitic slurs' and accused 'professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern' of infiltrating a student protest.
The protests are expected to continue, with students and activists demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and calling for their universities to cut financial ties with Israel.