Over the previous two weeks, more than 1,000 protestors have been arrested on campuses in Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut, Louisiana, California, and New Jersey, some following clashes with riot police.
Columbia University has asked the police to remain on the campus until May 17.
The White House had decried the standoffs at Columbia and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where demonstrators took two buildings before officers with batons intervened overnight and arrested 25 individuals. Officials projected that the total damage to the northern California school would be more than $1 million.
Last week, pro-Palestinian student demonstrators set up a tent encampment at New York’s Ivy League universities. Police attempted to evict the encampment on April 18, arresting over 100 demonstrators. However, the approach backfired, energizing students around the country and prompting demonstrators at Columbia to regroup.
Clashes break out at California University
Hours after police entered Columbia University to clear out pro-Palestinian protestors, clashes broke out at California University with scores of protestors and counter-protestors engaged in a scuffle carrying sticks and metal barricades.
The Los Angeles police department informed on X, “We can confirm that LAPD officers have been deployed, and are currently on the UCLA campus, to assist in restoring order. We are working in partnership with UCLA PD and other law enforcement agencies.”
Columbia’s hall cleared of protesters; police asked to stay till May 17
New York City police officers entered Columbia University late Tuesday and arrested pro-Palestinian protesters. The law enforcement action came in response to a prolonged occupation by students who had taken over Hamilton Hall and maintained a tent encampment for nearly two weeks.
This police intervention follows a direct call from Mayor Eric Adams earlier in the day, declaring that the ongoing protest “must end now.”
Columbia President Minouche Shafik wrote a letter to senior NYPD officials requesting that police remove demonstrators from the occupied building and a surrounding tent encampment “with the utmost regret.” She also requested that officers remain on campus until May 17, which is after the university’s commencement ceremonies.
‘Not an example of peaceful protest’: Whitehouse condemns violent protests
Calling it an “absolutely the wrong approach”, Whitehouse condemned the standoffs at Columbia and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where demonstrators took two buildings before officers with batons intervened overnight and arrested 25 individuals.
Officials said that the total damage to the northern California school would be more than $1 million.
‘Free, free Palestine!’
With chants of “shame on you” and “free, free Palestine!”, the student protesters are calling for Columbia University and other institutions to divest from companies involved in the Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Their occupation and demonstrations are part of a broader push to protest what they see as injustices in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aligning with wider protests across the country following Israel’s offensive in Gaza triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel.
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