As graduation ceremonies approach, pro-Palestinian student protests have intensified on campuses across the United States, leading to multiple arrests at universities in Massachusetts and California. The demonstrations, fueled by discontent over the Israel-Hamas war, have prompted schools to call in police to end the protests and make arrests, raising concerns about free speech and student safety.
At Emerson College in Boston, 108 people were arrested, and four police officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries during a protest at an encampment, according to Boston police. In Los Angeles, the University of Southern California saw 93 arrests during a demonstration Wednesday night, with no reports of injuries.
The growing unrest has put added pressure on schools already grappling with the challenges of organizing May commencement ceremonies. At Columbia University in New York, students defiantly erected an encampment where many are set to graduate in front of their families in the coming weeks. Despite several failed attempts to clear the encampment and over 100 arrests, the university continues to negotiate with students.
Other universities have taken a more aggressive approach, swiftly turning to law enforcement when protests erupted on their campuses. At the University of Texas at Austin, officers forcefully detained dozens of demonstrators, sending some tumbling into the street. The arrests were made at the behest of the university and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
Dane Urquhart, a third-year Texas student, called the police presence and arrests an "overreaction," stating that the protest "would have stayed peaceful" if the officers had not turned out in force. "Because of all the arrests, I think a lot more (demonstrations) are going to happen," Urquhart added.
The protests have fueled a national debate over free speech and student demonstrations amid growing unrest over the fate of Palestinians in Gaza and concerns for the safety of Jewish students on campus. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus as graduation nears, partly prompting a heavier hand from universities.
At New York University this week, police arrested 133 protesters, while over 40 protesters were arrested Monday at an encampment at Yale University. Harvard University sought to stay ahead of protests by limiting access to Harvard Yard and requiring permission for tents and tables, but this did not prevent protesters from setting up a camp with 14 tents following a rally against the university's suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling the monthslong conflict. At Columbia University, graduate student Omer Lubaton Granot, who put up pictures of Israeli hostages near the encampment, said he wanted to remind people that there were more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas.
"I see all the people behind me advocating for human rights," he said. "I don't think they have one word to say about the fact that people their age, that were kidnapped from their homes or from a music festival in Israel, are held by a terror organization."
