Over the past three weeks, pro-Palestinian demonstrations across U.S. college campuses, including prominent institutions like Columbia, UCLA, and Yale, have led to more than 2,000 arrests according to media reports. The protests began at Columbia University on April 17 in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
At UCLA, police in riot gear dispersed a large protest last Thursday, detaining 200 participants. Similarly, 30 were arrested at Portland State University. Despite the crackdown, demonstrations have persisted, with new protests at Stony Brook University and ongoing encampments at New York University.
Criticism has mounted against university administrations, particularly after Columbia University requested NYPD intervention to disperse demonstrators, drawing condemnation from the American Association of University Professors.
The state of California has seen significant protest activities, with students at California State University, Los Angeles setting up camps to urge the university to sever financial ties with institutions linked to Israel.
Arrests also occurred at New Hampshire, Northern Arizona, and Tulane universities as students continue to voice their dissent. These nationwide protests highlight the escalating tensions and the strong responses from both protestors and authorities amidst Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which have had devastating humanitarian impacts.–News Desk