Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested in the last 24 hours as protests decrying Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continue at university campuses across the nation.
The majority of demonstrations have called for the divestment from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, where there’s a large law enforcement presence, police have declared the pro-Palestinian protest on campus an unlawful assembly, a source told CNN. That’s a step typically taken before individuals are ordered to disperse or face arrest.
Meanwhile, at the University of Arizona, law enforcement used pepper balls and rubber bullets against protesters Wednesday, the university said in a statement.
In New York, after about 300 protesters were arrested overnight Tuesday at Columbia University and City College, there are still unanswered questions about how many who occupied Hamilton Hall were students and how many were not. Discussions are ongoing about what will happen with graduation, the ongoing NYPD presence on campus and the university’s next steps.
Here are the latest developments:
City College of New York: The university is surveying damage from several buildings and grounds after demonstrators smashed glass doors, graffitied walls and ransacked public property Tuesday night, the university said in a statement Wednesday.
Columbia University: President Minouche Shafik addressed the campus community in a letter released Wednesday, noting that the “drastic escalation” of protests “pushed the University to the brink.” The school is holding final exams but going fully remote for any exams on the main campus, according to a letter sent to students.
Dartmouth College: Multiple people were arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at Dartmouth College on Wednesday night, according to CNN affiliate WMUR.
Fordham University: At least 15 people were arrested after dozens of protesters set up an encampment inside the university’s Lowenstein building, according to a statement from the school. The school asked the NYPD to be on campus through at least May 22.
University at Buffalo: Approximately 16 people were arrested Wednesday night after a pro-Palestinian protest at the university’s North Campus, the school said in a release.
University of California, Los Angeles: Police are warning those in the encampment they may be “in violation of the law and subject to administrative actions.” The Los Angeles Police Department has also issued a city-wide “tactical alert” related to a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA, a law enforcement source told CNN.
University of New Hampshire: State police were deployed to the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College due to “illegal activity and at the request of local law enforcement,” the New Hampshire Department of Safety told CNN. The university said it will protect free speech on campus but “will not allow it to be co-opted by a small group of protesters, including outside agitators.”
University of Texas at Austin: An Austin Fox 7 television photojournalist was charged with two misdemeanors following his arrest at the University of Texas at Austin last week, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety on Wednesday.
University of Texas at Dallas: At least 17 arrests have been made at the campus as of Wednesday evening, school officials said.
University of Wisconsin-Madison: The university is investigating “bias reports involving individuals from outside of our campus community,” Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin said in a letter to the campus community Wednesday. Approximately 30 protesters were cited and “several others” were arrested Wednesday.
Sumber: www.cnn.com
