Protesters at three major U.S. universities Yale University in Connecticut, New York University (NYU) in Manhattan, and Columbia University in New York City were met with arrests this week as tensions over the Israel-Hamas war continued to reverberate through American campuses. Police arrested dozens of students at Yale and NYU after they set up encampments demanding their schools divest from military weapons manufacturers, while Columbia canceled in-person classes following a tent encampment last week.
At Yale, demonstrators blocked traffic around the campus in New Haven, Connecticut, chanting “We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest.” More than 45 protesters were arrested according to the student-run Yale Daily News. In Manhattan, officers moved on the NYU crowd shortly after nightfall, taking down tents and making arrests despite hours of defiance against university warnings.
Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik announced in an email to staff and students on Monday that the school was canceling in-person classes and moving to online teaching to “deescalate the rancor.” Last week, police arrested over 100 students at Columbia for trespassing after they set up a tent encampment on the main lawn. The university has suspended dozens of students involved in the protests.
These tensions have been fueled by the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, following Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid on Oct. 7 and Israel’s fierce response in Gaza. Protesters at Columbia, Yale, NYU, and other universities across the nation began demonstrating to demand a cease-fire and call for transparency in their schools’ investments.
Major university donor Robert Kraft, who is Jewish and owns the New England Patriots, has expressed his dissatisfaction with Columbia’s handling of the situation. He threatened to cut off further funding if corrective action isn’t taken, citing concerns for the safety of Jewish students on campus.
Police have reported no physical harm against any student at Columbia during angry confrontations between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups. Student protesters at the encampment have organized Muslim and Jewish prayers and speeches condemning Israel and Zionism, as well as praising Palestinian armed resistance.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Sunday, criticizing the blatant antisemitism that has emerged at these universities, despite some student organizers identifying as Jewish. The protesters have demanded Biden end U.S. support for Israel and condemned his administration for supplying funding and weapons to the country.
Student organizers from the Columbia encampment criticized Biden’s statement, arguing that it does not represent them. They firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand vigilant against non-students attempting to disrupt the solidarity being forged among students.
The protests have sparked a national debate over student demonstrations and freedom of speech on college campuses as students grapple with growing unrest over the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, student organizers continue to demand transparency from their universities and call for an end to the violence.
