Amid escalating tensions over Israel's conflict with Gaza, protests erupted across various US university campuses, leading to a wave of arrests. The demonstrations, initially concentrated at Columbia University, quickly spread to several other prominent institutions, including Harvard, Yale, and the University of Texas.
At the University of Texas in Austin, where 34 students were arrested, the protests were sparked by demands for the university to divest from companies supplying weapons to Israel. Meanwhile, at Harvard, protesters set up encampments on campus grounds in response to restrictions limiting access only to Harvard ID holders.
Similar scenes unfolded at the University of Southern California (USC), where over 100 students erected tents and banners at the campus centre. The demonstration turned chaotic as clashes erupted between students and campus security, leading to the intervention of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Meanwhile, at Columbia University, students booed US House Speaker Mike Johnson during his visit to the protest site. Johnson's call for the university president's resignation was met with chants of dissent, reflecting the widespread frustration among protesters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protests, labelling them as "horrific" and urging for unequivocal condemnation. The White House also denounced the demonstrations, equating certain rhetoric to that of terrorist organisations and emphasising the need for sensitivity, especially in light of recent tragic events.
The protests have drawn attention to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with demonstrations also taking place at Brown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California State Polytechnic, and the University of Michigan. As tensions persist, calls for dialogue and resolution continue to echo across campuses nationwide.
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