Results for: Student Protests

Portland State University has temporarily suspended its philanthropic relationship with Boeing following ongoing protests from student activists concerning the company’s ties to the Israeli Air Force. President Ann Cudd cited the need to balance freedom of speech with protecting the university from discrimination, harassment, and property damage. The decision comes amid a wave of pro-Palestinian student protests across the country, which have sparked clashes between police and demonstrators and led to online classes and canceled graduations at various institutions.

Over 100 people were arrested last week at Columbia University’s campus where students protested against the Israel-Hamas war. Similar encampments and protests have since sprouted up at universities like UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Humboldt, UCLA, Harvard, USC, Yale, NYU, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Texas at Austin. Student activists are demanding an end to US military aid to Israel, a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, and for their universities to sign on to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

Student demonstrations against Israel’s offensive in Gaza have gained momentum across the United States, leading to arrests and heavy-handed police responses on several campuses. The protests, spearheaded by students, demand universities sever financial ties with Israel and divest from companies alleged to facilitate the ongoing campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. The movement has drawn accusations of anti-Semitism from some quarters, but protesters and observers reject such claims. Despite threats of disciplinary action and police intervention, students at Harvard, Brown, USC, andColumbia have set up encampments in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The escalation prompted Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to suggest deploying the National Guard, but the Biden administration has voiced support for free speech on college campuses.

Student protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza have escalated across the United States, leading to the establishment of encampments at several universities and a tense standoff between demonstrators and administrators. Protesters are demanding a ceasefire, an end to US military aid for Israel, and the divestment from companies profiting from the war. The largest demonstration is taking place at Columbia University in New York City, where police have arrested over 100 protesters and the university president has called for the dismantling of the encampment. Critics of the protests have accused some demonstrators of antisemitism, while civil rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech violations. The protests have sparked debate about the role of universities in supporting free speech and protecting students.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik’s handling of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war has drawn criticism from multiple fronts. Shafik’s decision to call in the New York City police, leading to the arrest of over 100 protesters, has only further motivated demonstrators and inspired students at other campuses nationwide. Shafik’s actions have also drawn the ire of the Columbia chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which has accused her of capitulating to lawmakers’ demands and making “slanderous assaults” on faculty and students. Republicans in New York’s delegation to the U.S. House have also called for Shafik’s resignation, claiming she has failed to provide a safe learning environment on campus.

Protests have intensified across multiple US university campuses in response to Israel’s ongoing war with Gaza. Police have detained numerous protesters, including 20 at the University of Texas at Austin and a Palestinian student organizer at the University of Southern California. The protests, which initially centered at Columbia University, have spread to Harvard, USC, and other institutions.

House Speaker Kevin Johnson faced heckling and a protest encampment during his visit to Columbia University, where student demonstrations over the Israeli war in Gaza have been taking place. Despite the demands of protesters for universities to divest from Israel and pressure the US government to rein in Israeli strikes, the university agreed to 48 more hours of negotiations to end the protest encampment. Campus protests across the country have been met with shows of force from law enforcement, including arrests in Texas and the removal of tents by campus police in California. Amidst the political polarization, Johnson’s visit was seen as an attempt to support Jewish students and stand up to liberal activists.

House Republicans led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) faced a hostile reception at Columbia University on Wednesday while meeting with Jewish students to discuss on-campus antisemitism. Despite the group’s intent to address ongoing protests in support of the Palestinian people, their attempt to speak to a crowd outside the Low Memorial Library was met with boos and heckles. The Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), were unable to fully articulate their stance due to the disruption caused by protesters. The group had also met with Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and a group of Jewish students prior to the attempted press conference.

Students at Harvard and Brown Universities have erected outdoor encampments to protest the ongoing war in Gaza. The encampments are part of a growing movement of student protests across the country calling for their universities to divest from Israel. The Harvard encampment, which organizers have dubbed a “liberated zone,” was established by the Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Coalition. The group is demanding that Harvard disclose any institutional and financial investments in Israel. At Brown University, students with the Brown Divest Coalition have set up an encampment and are calling for the university to drop charges against 41 students arrested during a sit-in last December. They are also demanding that Brown divest its endowment from companies that profit from Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territory. The protests come amid rising tensions and protests on campuses across the country over the war in Gaza. More than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, students at an increasing number of U.S. colleges are setting up protest encampments and demanding that their schools stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its military efforts in Gaza. Inspired by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, students are calling for an end to investments and academic partnerships with Israel. They argue that such actions would send a message of support for the Palestinian people and help to end the suffering in Gaza. University officials have expressed concern about some of the protesters’ language, which they say could be interpreted as antisemitic, but they also say they respect the students’ right to protest. However, most have rejected the students’ demands, citing concerns about academic freedom and the need to avoid political pressures on university investments.