Sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict, protests have intensified on college campuses across the United States. Students have established encampments, occupied buildings, and defied demands to disperse. Columbia University remains at the forefront of the movement, with protests escalating to the point that the Ivy League institution has transitioned to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester.
At New York University, over 130 protesters were arrested, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported that police officers encountered attacks with bottles and other objects. In Connecticut, Yale University arrested 60 protesters, including 47 students, for refusing to leave an encampment on campus. At the University of Michigan, the demonstration at the campus center has grown to nearly 40 tents, and nine anti-war protesters were arrested at the University of Minnesota. Hundreds gathered on the Minnesota campus demanding their release.
On the West Coast, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, announced a campus closure through Wednesday after protesters occupied a building. Three individuals were arrested. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, protesters are inspired by the Columbia demonstrations and demand the university sever research ties with Israel’s Ministry of Defense. Protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, also draw inspiration from Columbia, viewing them as the heart of the student movement.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik expressed deep sadness over the campus unrest, as some Jewish students perceive the criticism of Israel as crossing into antisemitism. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to visit Jewish students at Columbia and address antisemitism on college campuses.
The surge in protests stems from Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 casualties, mostly civilians. During the ensuing war, Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The conflict has sparked global outrage and escalating tensions on college campuses.
