Pro-Palestinian students have set up tent encampments at more campuses across the U.S. to protest Israel's war in Gaza, after mass arrests at similar demonstrations at a handful of mostly East Coast colleges in recent days.

New York

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Israel-Gaza War

In recent developments across the United States, pro-Palestinian student protests have extended to more college campuses, building on initial demonstrations that led to a significant number of arrests at several East Coast colleges. The student activists are protesting in response to Israel's military actions in Gaza, initiated after a deadly raid by Hamas Islamist militants in October. The movement saw new participants setting up tent encampments, notably at the University of California, Berkeley—a campus known for its history of student activism. At Berkeley, students inaugurated their tent camp, aligning in solidarity with fellow protesters at other universities.

The protests have not been without consequence, as exemplified by events at Cal Poly Humboldt in California, where demonstrators occupied a campus building, prompting a shutdown of campus activities. Similarly, at the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police were tasked with clearing out an encampment after the university reported violations of policy and instances of trespassing. The actions come in the wake of more than 220 students being arrested at Columbia University and New York University campuses, with law enforcement intervention requested by university authorities due to protesters not dispersing by designated deadlines.

The response to the demonstrations has been mixed. New York Mayor Eric Adams and other officials have highlighted concerns over external individuals infiltrating student protests, incidents of violence against police officers, and reports of extreme rhetoric and harassment, including anti-Semitic acts directed at Jewish students. These concerns have been acknowledged at various levels, including by Columbia student organizers, who assert that such individuals do not reflect the broader anti-war sentiment of the movement. Amidst these tensions, the national attention to the protests includes tracking by the White House, indicating the significance and complexity of the issues at hand, especially as they unfold during the Jewish Feast of Passover—a time traditionally marked by themes of liberation.



Pro-Palestinian protests spread to more U.S. schools

Pro-Palestinian student protests expanded to more U.S. college campuses on Tuesday after mass arrests at demonstrations among a handful of mostly East Coast schools in recent days. They're all responding to Israel's war in Gaza, launched after a deadly October raid by Hamas Islamist militants. At University of California, Berkeley, a school with a strong legacy of student activism, students erected a tent camp on Tuesday in solidarity with protesters at other schools. The demonstrations coincide with the week-long Jewish Feast of Passover. I'm here, especially on the first day of Passover, because I believe that in this moment where we celebrate the liberation of our people, it is important to fight for the liberation of others. The campus of Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university also in California, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building. And at the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law. The new protests follow the arrest of more than 100 students at Columbia last week and around 120 protesters on New York University's campus late Monday. The NYPD said university authorities reached out for help, and protesters failed to clear by the deadline given by the university. New York Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday defended the actions of police, and also said that outside agitators had infiltrated the demonstrations. We have identified individuals who don't attend the schools who are on the campuses. They latch on to any protest. To see our police officers having bottles thrown at them. Adams joined in with Columbia administrators, state officials, some members of Congress and the White House in citing incidents of extreme rhetoric by pro-Palestinian protesters and allegations that Jewish students have been subjected to anti-Semitism and harassment. While student organizers from Columbia have acknowledged several such incidents, they maintain that quote inflammatory individuals do not represent their anti-war movement. The White House has said it is closely monitoring the situation on college campuses.

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Israel-Gaza War