Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across the U.S. are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling the conflict. However, some Jewish students are concerned that the protests have turned into antisemitism, making them afraid to be on campus. At Northeastern University in Boston, an encampment was shut down by police in riot gear due to reports of antisemitic slurs from protesters. Similar actions were taken by the University of Pennsylvania, where interim President J. Larry Jameson disbanded a protest encampment due to violating university policies and antisemitic acts.
Columbia University has seen ongoing protests inspired by pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country. Negotiations between the protesters and the administration have continued, with a resolution passed by the university’s senate creating a task force to examine the leadership’s response. Despite scuffles and arrests resulting from attempts to clear the protest, the university has chosen not to bring in police again at this time. Calls for law enforcement have led to faculty members at various universities passing votes of no confidence in their leadership.
The tensions between protesters and university officials are increasing as graduation ceremonies approach in May. California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, closed its campus for the rest of the semester after protesters refused to leave a building they had barricaded. In Colorado, police arrested about 40 protesters at Denver’s Auraria Campus. Students at the Columbia encampment have reached an impasse with the administration, with continued protest planned as the university has not met their demand for divestment.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has faced criticism from faculty but retained the support of trustees. A report by the university senate’s executive committee found that actions and decisions made by her administration have harmed the university. Columbia student protester Khymani James apologized for comments made in a video in January, which were seen as threatening towards Zionists. James was banned from campus, and protest organizers stated that his comments did not align with their values. In France, protests have also impacted universities, with students at the Paris Institute of Political Studies blocking access to campus buildings.
Violent clashes between protesters and police have occurred at various universities in the U.S., leading to arrests. The University of Southern California canceled its graduation ceremony following more than 90 arrests on campus. Faculty members at schools like Cal Poly Humboldt, University of Texas at Austin, and Emory University have initiated or passed votes of no confidence in their president. These developments highlight the growing tensions on campuses across the country due to the Israel-Hamas war protests and the responses from university administrations.
