What we know about the protests that erupted on college campuses across America

What we know about the protests that erupted on college campuses across America

College campuses across the United States have erupted with pro-Palestinian protests, and school administrators have tried — and largely failed — to defuse the situation.

Tensions on US college campuses have risen since the October 7 Hamas attack, when militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. Israel’s counterattack on Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, according to its health ministry.

Reports of antisemitic acts have surged across America and particularly on campuses since October 7. Islamophobia is also rampant. A recent surge in protests has fueled those tensions, forcing leadership to make decisions when free speech on campus crosses the line and becomes threatening.

Several schools have called the police against the protesters, leading to the arrest of hundreds of people on several campuses.

When did the current conflict begin?
The situation worsened last week at Columbia University when the university’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, testified before a House committee about the school’s response to accusations of campus antisemitism. Pro-Palestinian protests began on campus at the same time.

Following his testimony, Shafik requested in a letter issued by the university that the New York City Police Department remove people camping on the campus’ South Lawn who were “violating University rules and policies” and trespassing. More than 100 people have been arrested, according to law enforcement.

The encampment was organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a student-led coalition of more than 100 organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, to protest what they described as “the university’s continued financial investment in company. profits from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation in Palestine,” according to his news release.

Where else does this happen?
Since last Thursday, other college campuses have faced similar protests and encampments, as well as arrests.

Pro-Palestinian camps have been established at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emerson College, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley. On Wednesday, police detained nearly 100 protesters at the University of Southern California after orders to disperse.

Yale University police arrested at least 45 protesters on Monday and charged them with criminal trespassing after they refused orders to leave, although dozens of protesters remained on Tuesday morning.

Harvard University closed Harvard Yard and officials at the school suspended a pro-Palestinian student organization for allegedly violating school policy.

Meanwhile, nine people were arrested Tuesday at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus after they formed an encampment in violation of school policy.

Students, faculty and staff at the University of New Mexico peacefully protested Monday in support of Gaza, the university said in a statement Tuesday.

More than 100 people were arrested Wednesday at Emerson College in Boston during a pro-Palestinian protest, according to the Boston Police Department.

What do they want?
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia say they will not disperse until the school agrees to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions and commits to the “complete divestment” of its funding from entities linked to Israel, among other demands.

Protesters on other campuses made similar demands, calling on campuses to divest from companies that sell weapons, construction equipment, technology services and other goods to Israel.

Columbia officials warned earlier this week that the camp violated school rules but did not provide specific disciplinary consequences. Officials also rejected claims by protesters that the school threatened to bring in the National Guard to help deal with pro-Palestinian encampments.

Jewish reaction
Passover, a major Jewish holiday, begins this week, raising fears among some Jewish students who have heard antisemitic comments at several protests. The atmosphere was so lively that Columbia officials announced that students could attend classes and even possibly take exams as early as Monday.

Underscoring concerns about student safety, Rabbi Elie Buechler, a rabbi associated with Columbia University’s Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, sent a WhatsApp message to a group of about 300 mostly Orthodox Jewish students “strongly” recommending they go home and stay there.

Buechler wrote that recent events at the university “have made it clear that Columbia University Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students.”

Throughout Passover, there will be a police presence at the Kraft Center, a Jewish cultural center shared by Columbia and Barnard, and campus public safety will provide a foot escort to and from the building beginning Monday, according to an email from the center’s Brian Cohen. executive director.

Chabad, a Jewish organization at the University, said on Facebook they had hired extra security to protect students during Passover. They said they were “shocked by what we witnessed last night on and near the Columbia campus,” but still plan to host an Easter celebration on campus.

A group of Jewish and non-Jewish students gathered at the camp to celebrate the Passover Seder Monday night. Columbia student Cameron Jones told CNN: “I’m Jewish and, for me, Passover symbolizes perseverance and resilience. I think this camp represents both of those ideals because we’ve seen universities take countless steps to try to stifle our student activism, and here we are sticking through it.”

What do political leaders say?
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson called on the president of Columbia University to resign during a tense press conference in which the crowd repeatedly interrupted the speaker and sometimes loudly jeered him and other GOP lawmakers with him as they stood in front of microphones. on the Columbia campus.

“We cannot allow this kind of hatred and antisemitism to grow on our campuses, and it must stop. Those who commit this violence should be arrested. I am here today to join my colleagues, and call on President Shafik to resign if he cannot immediately bring about this chaos,” Johnson said.

He was joined by New York Representative Mike Lawler, Nicole Malliotakis and others in the New York GOP delegation.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, criticized the way administrators like Shafik have handled the issue on behalf of student protesters. His comments came a day after fellow New York Democrat, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, accused Columbia of succumbing to “right-wing pressure.”

Earlier this week, a spokesman for President Joe Biden said he was “certainly aware” of the pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked college campuses across the country.

US Education Sec. Miguel Cardona said Tuesday he was “very concerned” about incidents of antisemitism at Columbia University and pointed to a Civil Rights investigation previously opened into the university for violations involving antisemitic harassment.

What will happen to Shafik?
National political leaders, including Speaker Johnson, increased pressure for Shafik to step down.

Shafik is an Egyptian-born academic and economic policy expert who has been president of an Ivy League university since July 2023. Shafik’s family left Egypt in the 1960s, when the country was in the midst of political and economic turmoil, according to Columbia, and has been president of London School of Economics and Political Science. He grew up in South America.

Columbia University’s Board of Trustees issued a statement Wednesday saying they strongly support President Shafik. The board said it was “immediately working” with him to resolve the unrest on campus and “rebuild the bonds of our community.”

Growing unrest on college campuses, along with rising antisemitism, has led to numerous congressional hearings and, at least in part, the resignation of two Ivy League presidents – Claudine Gay at Harvard University and Liz Magill at the University of Pennsylvania.