A wave of pro-Palestinian protests spread and intensified on Wednesday on campuses around the country, with students facing off with police in a widening showdown over campus speech and the Gaza war. University administrators from Texas to California worked to clear protesters and prevent encampments from forming on their campuses, in response to the situation at Columbia University. Protests continued to erupt in places like Pittsburgh and San Antonio, with demands for divestment from companies tied to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The movement appeared to be gaining momentum as the academic year drew to a close.
Overseas, students in Cairo, Paris, and Sydney also gathered to express support for Palestinians and oppose the war. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Columbia University, calling for the university president’s resignation if she couldn’t control the protests. Some Republican lawmakers have criticized university administrators for not protecting Jewish students on campuses. Some of the protests since last year have included hate speech and support for Hamas, the group behind the deadly attacks on Israel that sparked the war.
In Texas, dozens were arrested at the University of Texas at Austin after refusing to disperse, prompting Governor Greg Abbott to call for their expulsion. At the University of Southern California, police broke up a pro-Palestinian camp, leading to several arrests. The cancellation of a valedictorian’s address after complaints about her support for Palestinians also sparked anger at USC. At Brown University, students pitched tents despite warnings, intending to stay until they were forced to leave.
Harvard University closed off a central area to prevent protests, but students set up tents in another location. At Cal Poly Humboldt, concerns about protesters occupying buildings led to the campus being shut down. Meanwhile, two students were arrested at Ohio State University during a dispersed protest. The protests at the University of Texas at Austin were among the first in a Republican-led state in the South, where Governor Abbott has vowed to fight anti-Semitism.
State police were deployed to the University of Texas at Austin to prevent unlawful assemblies. Despite warnings, protesters gathered and officers made several arrests for criminal trespassing. The university emphasized that disruptions like those seen at other campuses would not be tolerated and that students should be able to complete their classes and final exams without interruption. The protests reflect a growing movement among students advocating for divestment from companies connected to the conflict in Gaza, as well as a broader solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war.
