Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up at many college campuses following the arrest of demonstrators this month at Columbia University.
The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from companies that are advancing Israel's military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself. The number of arrests nationwide has approached 1,000 since New York police arrested demonstrators at Columbia on April 18.
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. Some universities say outsiders have joined student protesters and caused trouble.
The protests have even spread to Europe, with French police removing dozens of students from the Sorbonne university after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the main courtyard.
A look at protests on campuses:
Columbia University
Pro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League university in New York earlier this month. Police first tried to clear the encampment April 18, when they arrested more than 100 protesters. But the move inspired students across the country and motivated Columbia protesters to regroup.
Columbia University issued a warning to protesters on Monday, stating that they must vacate the encampment by an afternoon deadline and sign a form agreeing to follow university policies until June 2025 or face suspension pending further investigation.
Despite the ultimatum, Columbia activists remained in the encampment, consisting of over 300 individuals, with chants, clapping, and drumming. As the deadline passed, no officials entered the encampment, and around 120 tents remained standing.
"This is more than just a breach of university regulations. It is a movement, an anti-war movement. Our actions have inspired similar Gaza solidarity encampments nationwide and even globally," expressed Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil.
The scheduled commencement is on May 15. The ongoing demonstrations have led Columbia to conduct remote classes and set multiple deadlines for the protesters to disband.
Columbia's president, Minouche Shafik, faced a significant, yet mainly symbolic, reprimand from faculty members on Friday. However, she continues to have the backing of the trustees, who hold the authority to appoint or dismiss the president.
The protest at Columbia is part of a tradition that spans over five decades and has served as inspiration for various movements, including the anti-apartheid protests in the 1980s and protests against the Iraq war.
University of Texas at Austin
Protesters gathered once again at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday. Six individuals were swiftly taken into custody, with more arrests following as police and state troopers intervened.
Upon the arrival of dozens of police officers and state troopers, many equipped in riot gear, over a hundred protesters had congregated tightly on a lawn in front of the university's main tower. While arrests were underway, law enforcement also cleared tables that the protesters had arranged.
The university issued a statement indicating that the demonstrators had persistently "disregarded multiple instructions" to dismantle the tents.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared a video of the troopers arriving at the 50,000-student campus on the social media platform X. "No encampments will be tolerated. Instead, arrests are being carried out," Abbott emphasized.
During a previous incident, hundreds of police officers—some mounted on horseback and wielding batons—dispersed protesters at the university, resulting in some individuals falling onto the street. As per the state Department of Public Safety, 34 arrests were made at the request of the university and Governor Abbott.
Northeastern
Riot police dismantled an encampment at Northeastern University in Boston on Saturday. State police reported the arrest of approximately 100 protesters, who will face charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Reports from Northeastern University indicate that a recent demonstration was disrupted by outside organizers not affiliated with the institution. Allegations of antisemitic slurs, such as "kill the Jews," were reported during the event. The Huskies for a Free Palestine student group claims that the offensive language came from counter-protesters and denies that any student protesters used such hateful speech.
University officials, Chancellor Ken Henderson and Provost David Madigan, revealed that out of the 98 individuals arrested, 29 were Northeastern students and six were staff members.
In response to the escalating tensions, the university emphasized the importance of maintaining a civil environment on campus, especially during the commencement week when over 8,000 students are expected to participate in the celebrations.
Tufts
Tufts University has requested students to dismantle their pro-Palestinian encampment to allow for the commencement ceremony to proceed. The school acknowledged delaying some preparations to accommodate the protest but now requires the encampment to be peacefully removed for the campus to be ready for commencement.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Northwestern
Northwestern University announced Monday it had reached an agreement with students who had set up an encampment in Deering Meadow on the Evanston campus late last week, CBS Chicago reported. Those students, like their counterparts across the U.S., are demanding the school divest from companies that support Israel.
University of Mary Washington
A dozen people, including nine students, were arrested Saturday after a protest at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, according to a statement from the university's president.
Attendees were told Friday that they could stay if they followed university policies and additional safety guidelines were communicated to organizers, according to the statement. The encampment was prohibited and tents were not permitted. Tents were taken down Friday night, and the protest continued into Saturday, when they were put back up.
On Saturday evening, attendees were told to leave, according to the president's statement. After some time, 12 people remaining in Jefferson Square were arrested for trespassing.
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California announced on Saturday the temporary closure of its University Park Campus to nonresidents. The closure was due to vandalism of USC property by a group illegally camping on the campus, disrupting operations and harassing students and others, according to Joel Curran, senior vice president of communications.
Despite attempts by university President Carol Folt to meet with the students, they declined. The administration is hoping for a more reasonable response from the group on Sunday to avoid further actions, Curran added.
The university also canceled its main stage graduation ceremony scheduled for May 10 and a commencement speech by the school's pro-Palestinian valedictorian due to safety concerns. The Los Angeles Police Department reported over 90 arrests on Wednesday during a protest at the university.
University of California, Los Angeles
Following several days of peaceful demonstrations, tensions escalated as protesters engaged in shouting and shoving during dueling demonstrations at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Police had to set up barricades as hundreds of people on both sides gathered at UCLA's Dickson Court, near where pro-Palestinian students had been camping in tents. Counter-protesters organized a "Stand in Support of Jewish Students" rally to oppose hatred and antisemitism.
Protests at UCLA continued on Monday, with about 100 students and faculty participating in a walkout at noon local time, CBS Los Angeles reported
George Washington University
About 50 students at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., set up a tent encampment on the school's University Yard on Thursday. A group of students and professors staged their own protest walkout and marched to campus to join them. The protesters are demanding that the university divest from Israel and lift a suspension against a prominent pro-Palestinian student group.
Early Monday, protesters at an encampment near the university breached and dismantled the barriers used to secure University Yard, the university said in a statement.
The university's last day of classes before final exams was set for Monday, and commencement is scheduled for May 19. Because of the noise generated by the protests, the university said it would move law school finals to another building from the one where they had originally been scheduled.
Virginia Tech
A protest at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg resulted in an unknown number of arrests, a university spokesperson said Monday.
Protesters began occupying the lawn of the graduate life center Friday, the university said in a statement. The gathering violated university policy, the university said, but was a "safe and peaceful environment" over much of the weekend.
Following recent events where protesters occupied outdoor spaces near a student center, the university has deemed the situation potentially unsafe and advised dispersal. Failure to comply may result in trespassing charges.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
The campus closure has been extended until May 10, the end of the semester, with remote instruction continuing. Protesters used various items to block entrances to a building on April 22. Commencement is scheduled for May 11.
University officials have urged those occupying buildings and camping nearby to leave peacefully and engage in respectful dialogue.
Case Western Reserve University
Over 20 individuals were briefly detained after setting up an encampment at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Tents were erected with a sign advocating for divestment from Israel.
Law enforcement dismantled the encampment, and those detained were later released. It remains unclear if any charges or disciplinary actions will follow.
Yale
Protesters at Yale established a new encampment on Sunday afternoon, pitching dozens of tents just days after police arrested nearly 50 people and dismantled a similar camp in the area. Despite being warned by a Yale official that they could face disciplinary action, including suspension and potential arrest, protesters remained undeterred. No specific deadline was given for them to disband.
Yale released a statement on Monday expressing support for peaceful demonstrations and freedom of speech, while also emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for violations. School officials noted that the protest site is located near residential colleges where students are preparing for final exams, highlighting the need for permission to organize events and set up structures on campus.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
On Monday, a group of individuals gathered at an encampment protest at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Students and community members lounged on blankets, engaging in conversations, while a small cluster observed a woman dancing adorned with a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headscarf. The encampment was established following a march advocating for the university to divest from Israel.
University of Washington
Students at the University of Washington in Seattle established a makeshift community on Monday morning outside Miller Hall. Despite a prominent sign stating "no camping allowed," approximately six tents were pitched on the grassy area. The demonstrators, numbering a few dozen, affixed banners to their tents in solidarity with Gaza amidst a light drizzle. Their primary demand is for the university to sever connections with Boeing, a company based in Seattle that manufactures equipment utilized by the Israel Defense Forces, and to end affiliations with study abroad programs in Israel. No police presence was observed at the scene.
University of Georgia
Protesters attempting to create a camp at the University of Georgia in Athens were apprehended by authorities on Monday.
A spokesperson declined to disclose the exact number of individuals detained on the university's final day of classes before the commencement of spring exams. Records from the Athens-Clarke County jail indicated that twelve individuals had been processed at the facility by mid-afternoon by University of Georgia police on charges of criminal trespassing, with state troopers providing assistance.
University President Jere Morehead conveyed in a statement that students had the option to reserve a designated protest area and that the university authorities "were compelled to arrest those who refused to comply." He warned that any students, faculty, or staff members taken into custody could potentially face disciplinary measures from the university in addition to legal consequences.
Emory University
Last week, a total of 28 individuals were taken into custody at the prestigious Emory University in Atlanta. In a statement issued on Monday, university President Gregory Fenves expressed his regret for the initial claim made by officials that the protesters were not affiliated with the university. Following an investigation, it was revealed that 22 of the apprehended individuals were in fact Emory students or staff members. Fenves announced that a comprehensive review would be conducted to assess the circumstances under which the university should involve external law enforcement agencies. This decision came after disturbing images and videos surfaced, depicting individuals being forcefully restrained and subjected to electric stun guns.
