Universities in the United States with Israel–Hamas war protests in April 2024. Columbia University is marked in red. Other colleges that had encampments are marked in green, and non-encampment protests are marked in blue.
Over 200 groups have expressed support for the protests,[47] as well as U.S. Senator
Bernie Sanders, various members of
Congress, several
labor unions,[48][49][50] hundreds of university staff in the United Kingdom,[51][52] and Iran's supreme leader
Ali Khamenei.[53] The police response to the protests has been criticized by various
Democrats[54][55][56] and human rights organizations.[57][58] An estimated 8% of college students have participated in protests,[59] 97% of them have remained
nonviolent,[60] and 28–40% of Americans support the protests with 42–47% opposed.[61][62] The protests have been compared to the
anti-Vietnam and
1968 protests.[63][64]
Supporters of Israel and some Jewish students have raised concerns about
antisemitic incidents at or around the protests,[65] prompting condemnations from leaders including President
Joe Biden,[31] Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Mark Rutte,[66] and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu;[67] as well as concern from Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese[68] and UK Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak.[69] Several students and faculty members who have participated in the protests, some of whom are Jewish, have said the protests are not antisemitic.[70][71][72]
List of protests
A study by Washington Monthly shows that pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations and encampments are more prevalent at elite U.S. universities.[73]
Alabama
The pro-Palestinian protest at the
University of Alabama took place on May 1 from 4 to 6:30pm at the UA Student Center.[74] Hundreds of protesters showed up on the pro-Palestinian side, with around a hundred of so counter-protesters holding Israeli and American flags.[74] The demands of the pro-Palestinian protesters was to cut ties with
Lockheed Martin, the renaming of Hewson Hall, named after former Lockheed Martin CEO
Marillyn Hewson, and the disclosure of investments from UA's endowment fund.[75] The Lockheed Martin website deleted the mention of UA as a partner university before the protest; one of the several demands published by the protest's organizers.[75]
The protest ended peacefully at 6:30, and there were no injuries.[75]
Arizona
On April 26, dozens gathered to protest on the Old Main lawn at
Arizona State University in Tempe. Campus police announced several people were arrested "for setting up unauthorized encampment, in violation of university policy and the ABOR Student Code of Conduct."[76] On April 27, the Arizona State University Police Department arrested 69 protesters after the unauthorised encampment was established on campus.[77][78]
On April 30, an encampment was set up at
Northern Arizona University in
Flagstaff.[80][81] Within the same night, the university and Flagstaff Police Departments made 24 arrests and deconstructed the site.[82]
On May 9, police fired tear gas at demonstrators at at University of Arizona, a day in advance of their scheduled
commencement ceremony.[83]
Arkansas
On April 25, members of the
University of Arkansas Students for Justice in Palestine organization delivered a letter to the school's administration, calling for action in response to the war.[84]
An encampment was set up at Colorado College on May 2.[96]
On May 9, an encampment was set up at the University of Denver.[97]
On May 15, police issued citations for trespassing, interference and disturbing the peace to 22 protesters who refused to leave buildings at Auraria.[98] On May 17, campus officials announced that all buildings would be locked at 6pm on Friday. Protesters scattered their tents across campus, saying: “This whole campus is now an encampment.”[99][100]
Connecticut
On April 12, at
Yale University, ahead of the university's Bulldog Days, when admitted freshmen would be visiting, a group of graduate students conducted a hunger strike to call attention to the university's investment in weapons manufacturers profiting off of the war in Gaza.[101] On April 15, a separate group of student protesters, under the name "Occupy Beinecke", unsuccessfully attempted to erect a bookshelf reading "Books, Not Bombs" on
Beinecke Plaza and maintained a daytime occupation of the plaza for the rest of the week.[102] On April 19, during a send-off dinner for university president
Peter Salovey in the abutting Schwarzman Center, Occupy Beinecke launched a three-day tent encampment on the plaza until April 22 when police arrested 48 protesters on charges of trespassing.[102] Yale administrators claimed that arrests were because students failed to leave after a warning that the protest posed "a safety violation".[103][104] A letter signed by 300 Yale faculty stated the decision to charge the students "contradicts the institution's commitment to uphold free assembly, speech and expression".[105] On April 28, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters organized a "March for a Free Palestine" from the
New Haven Green through Yale's campus.[106] That same day, another group of protesters erected a second, short-lived encampment on Cross Campus that was cleared by police with no arrests on April 30th.[107]
On April 25, an encampment was launched at the
University of Connecticut in
Storrs. One person was arrested.[108] Five days later, university police arrested multiple people and dismantled the encampment.[109]
On April 28, another encampment was set up at
Wesleyan University in
Middletown.[110] On April 29, about 100 people were at the encampment, called a "Liberation Zone." University President
Michael S. Roth said that he will not call in the police as long as it remains nonviolent.[111]
On April 24, a protest organized by the "UF Divestment Coalition" took place at the Plaza of the Americas at the
University of Florida in Gainesville.[123] Nine people were arrested at another protest on April 29.[124]
A planned encampment on Landis Green at
Florida State University in Tallahassee lasted only a few minutes on April 25 before being disbanded by university police and the use of sprinklers by school administration.[126] On April 30 police arrested five protesters at another encampment on the FSU campus.[127]
Three people were arrested at a protest and encampment at the
University of South Florida in Tampa on April 29.[128] The following day, 10 people were arrested following a physical altercation between police and protesters. Police officers used
tear gas on protesters.[129]
On May 17, protesters at the
New College of Florida's graduation ceremony chanted "Free Palestine" and booed the commencement speaker, billionaire
Joe Ricketts. The school said it had filed five conduct violation complaints against graduates.[134]
On the morning of April 25, police arrested demonstrators at an encampment at
Emory University.[137] Students had established the encampment that morning in solidarity with the people of Gaza as well as in protest of
Cop City.[138]Georgia State Patrol,
Atlanta Police and University Police began clearing the encampment within three hours of its establishment. Tasers on restrained students and tear gas were used to arrest at least 20 students.[139][140][141][142]Caroline Fohlin, the chair of Emory's philosophy department, was one of the arrested.[143] A video of police using a taser on a restrained protester at Emory went viral, but vice president of public safety Cheryl Elliott said the person did not appear to be associated with Emory. Elliot also sent an email to the Emory community saying that "chemical irritants" were necessary for crowd control due to direct assaults of officers.[144] On 27 April, faculty placed themselves between police and students, leading Representative
Ruwa Romman to say, "it never should've been necessary".[145]
On May 8, protesters at
Morehouse College demonstrated against President Biden in response to his scheduled commencement speech at the university. Several protesters from neighboring
Spelman College were also present.[150][151]
Hundreds of
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students rallied on April 24 to demand the university divest from
BlackRock.[154] On April 26, the university announced that the group had 30 minutes to remove its tents. After 45 minutes, one person who was not a student was arrested for interfering with university staff's attempt to take the tents down.[155][156]
On April 25, students at
Northwestern University established an encampment on the south campus of the school's
Evanston campus.[157] Several dozen students started the encampment; and the crowd grew to over 1,000 by Thursday evening.[158] In response to the protests, the university declared an interim addendum to the student code of conduct prohibiting tents from being erected on campus.[159] On April 29, Northwestern made an agreement with the protestors, in which most tents would be dismantled in exchange for the reestablishment of an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility and increased inclusivity efforts on campus.[160]
On May 1, an encampment was set up at
Illinois State University. Two days later, police arrested seven protesters in an administration building.[168][169]
On May 16, police dismantled the encampment at DePaul. University president Robert Manuel stated that “the responses to the encampment have inadvertently created public safety issues that put our community at risk,” and the occupiers of the encampment were not to blame for their disbursal.[173]
On June 1, dozens of graduates walked out of the commencement ceremony at
University of Chicago to protest the withholding of diplomas from four students involved in the solidarity encampment.[174] At least one person was arrested.[175]
On April 25, US Senator
Todd Young was being interviewed by
Purdue University president
Mung Chiang on campus when the event was interrupted by demonstrators. Organizers with SJP and
Young Democratic Socialists of America quickly set up an encampment. The chief of the Purdue Police claimed the students were not allowed to have tents, but later, a university spokesman claimed that students were allowed to have tents.[178]
At
Indiana University, police arrested 33 protesters after an encampment was set up on the Dunn Meadow lawn.[179] The "IU Divestment Coalition" made demands including the resignation of the President of the university, the Provost and the Vice-Provost, the end of the institution's collaboration with
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, a naval installation close to
Bloomington, and the cutting of financial ties with Israel.[180] The latter would be in violation of a state law
blacklisting companies that adhere to
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).[181][182] On April 25, 26, and 27, an
Indiana State Police sniper was posted on the roof of the
Indiana Memorial Union, overlooking the encampment on Dunn Meadow, pictures of which circulated on social media.[183] 23 further students and faculty were arrested on April 27, including one of the organizers, who was banned from campus for five years.[184][185]
On April 26, students at the
University of Notre Dame held a rally calling for divestment from weapons manufactures.[186][187] Police arrested 17 people during an encampment at Notre Dame on May 2.[188][189]
A planned three-day protest began at the
University of Iowa on May 3. Protest organizers stated they did not plan to set up an encampment.[193] Three days later, an encampment was formed, which police tore down later in the day.[194]
Kansas
Around forty people protested outside of the
Wichita State University student center on April 26, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.[195]
An encampment was set up outside Fraser Hall at the
University of Kansas on May 1.[196] The same day, a protest was held at
Kansas State University.[197] On May 8, police disbanded the encampment. One protester, who was not a student, was arrested for refusing to leave their tent.[198]
A
walkout took place at
Tulane and
Loyola University in New Orleans on April 26.
St. Charles Avenue was closed due to the march. Students demanded that both Universities divest from companies profiting from Israel's war.[201] A pro-Palestinian protest was also held outside of the
Louisiana State University student union.[202] The following day, 10 people were arrested at a protest involving Loyola and Tulane University students where, according to the
New Orleans Police Department, four officers were injured while clearing
Jackson Square of protesters.[203]
Students rallied and marched through campus at
Johns Hopkins University on April 24.[213] Over 100 demonstrators held a rally on April 29 organized by the "Hopkins Justice Collective", subsequently setting up an encampment on campus.[214] The following day, Johns Hopkins announced that an agreement had been reached with the protesters to only protest from 10am-8pm, and dismantle the encampment. Initial reports stated that the encampment had dispersed, however protesters put out a statement saying they had merely "regrouped and re-strategized", and the encampment remained, with protesters saying no agreement was reached. Johns Hopkins set a deadline of 6pm May 8 for students to sign a form and voluntarily leave the encampment and not take any further disruptive action, in exchange for no disciplinary action being taken against them, with those who remained being subject to disciplinary action. The encampment did not disperse, despite this deadline.[215][216]
Massachusetts
Encampment at Harvard University on May 2, 2024
Encampment at Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 23, May 2, May 4, and May 8 2024
On April 19, students at
Boston University protested in solidarity with Columbia students.[217] Two days later a pro-Palestinian protest was held at
Smith College.[218]
On April 24, 2024, students set up an encampment at
Harvard University on Harvard Yard.[219] The encampment was organized by Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, a coalition of several pro-Palestine groups, which demand that Harvard discloses and divests from investments in Israel. The protests resulted in changes for final exam locations. During the protests, students ...have flipped maqluba, hosted prayers, danced Dabke, and eaten Shabbat dinner,[220] and the protesters, joined by some faculty members,[221] have emphasized a peaceful character of the demonstration,[220] which was also confirmed by Harvard police chief.[222] During the encampment, access to Harvard Yard has been restricted to Harvard ID holders. Harvard University considered the demonstration a 'direct violation' of its policy.[223]
On the evening of April 21, 2024, students at
Emerson College set up an encampment in the Boylston Place alleyway in solidarity with those arrested in similar protests.[227] The students called for Emerson to
divest from any associations with
Zionist ties.[228] During the night of April 24, about 108 people were arrested at the protest with video showing officers forcefully moving through the crowd and throwing protestors on the ground, who had linked arms and used umbrellas to resist. Four officers were reportedly injured with non-life-threatening injuries. School administrators stated that the protestors had been warned to leave beforehand as the alleyway was not solely owned by the school and that city authorities had threatened to become involved.[229] Boston Mayor
Michelle Wu said she ordered police to take down the Emerson encampment for public safety reasons.[230]
On April 25, students at Boston's
Northeastern University circled their encampment on the school's Centennial Commons and chanted as police approached. Police left the scene shortly afterward.[231] Students from
Berklee College of Music joined the Northeastern encampment.[232]
On April 27, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at the university. School officials alleged the student demonstration was infiltrated by outsiders who yelled antisemitic slurs such as "Kill the Jews."[233][234] A video circulating on social media later showed a counter-protestor holding an Israeli flag had attempted to provoke a response by yelling "kill the Jews."[234]
A protest was held at
Boston College on April 26. During the protest, an organizer read a letter written by a BC student who had been arrested at Emerson and banned from the BC campus.[235]
Demonstrators at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst protested the inauguration of UMass Amherst Chancellor
Javier Reyes, calling on him to cut ties with military groups and drop charges against people who had been charged during previous protests at UMass Amherst.[236] Three days later, an encampment was built on campus.[237] The encampment was dismantled the following day.[238] Another encampment was set up on May 7, and police arrested 109 people at the site.[239]
On May 6, students from at least five and as many as a dozen high schools in the Boston and Cambridge area walked out in solidarity of the encampments, met at
Boston Common, then marched to the encampment on the Kresge Lawn at
M.I.T..[244] On May 7, M.I.T. president
Sally Kornbluth gave students a deadline to vacate the encampment by 2:30pm. With few protesters remaining by 4pm, Cambridge police began to dismantle the encampment. By 5:30, hundreds of students pushed down the barricades and locked around the encampment.[245] Meanwhile, Kornbluth sent out an email announcing interim suspensions for the protesters.[246]
In the early morning of May 10, police in riot gear broke down the encampment at M.I.T. and arrested at least 10 people. They arrived at 4am and gave the students fifteen minutes to leave.[247] Nine had been arrested the day before.[248][249]
On May 14, protesters at Harvard reached an agreement to end encampment on campus. The university agreed to reinstate 20 suspended students, leniency for 60 others, to begin discussions about divestment with members of Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP), and to have conversations about creating a “Center for Palestine Studies at Harvard.”[250]
On May 15,
United Auto Workers (U.A.W.)'s Harvard Graduate Student Union filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, accusing it of surveillance and
retaliation against workplace-related
collective action, denying employees union representation in disciplinary hearings and unfairly changing policies regarding access to campus to discourage protesters.[251]
On May 23, more than a thousand people walked out of Harvard's
commencement ceremony in protest of the University's decision to deny diplomas to 13 pro-Palestine protesters who were involved in the encampment. Two speakers changed their prepared remarks to show support to the protesters.[252][253]
On April 25, students at
Michigan State University in
East Lansing set up a solidarity encampment in the same "People's Park" area that hosted an anti-Vietnam War encampment in 1970.[256]
On April 26, a group of protesters interrupted a meeting of the Board of Governors at
Wayne State University. One person was arrested.[257]
On May 21, police used
pepper spray to clear the encampment at University of Michigan. University president
Santa Ono claimed that
fire hazards were the reasons. Four were arrested.[261] The day after, dozens of activists gathered outside the
Washtenaw County Courthouse demanding that charges be dropped against the four who were arrested.[262]
On May 23, an encampment was set up at
Wayne State University.[263] On May 30, police dismantled the encampment and arrested 12 people.[264]
Minnesota
Nine
University of Minnesota students were arrested on April 23 while attempting to set up an encampment on the Minneapolis campus.[265] US Representative
Ilhan Omar joined protestors.[266] Protests resumed the following day.[267] On May 1, protesters dismantled their own encampment after the U of M agreed to consider their demands.[268]
On April 26, a group of student protesters at
Hamline University held a sit-in protest at the university president's office building. After 29 hours the protesters moved to an encampment on the lawn in front of the building.[269]
Protesters at
Carleton College set up an encampment. The encampment was scheduled to coincide with when the Board of Trustees would visit campus, from May 8 to 10.[272] On May 17, students held an overnight occupation of Laird Hall, the location of the president's office, resulting in twelve students receiving disciplinary action.[273]
Dozens of students held a pro-Palestinian protest at the
University of Mississippi, but were escorted into a building by police after counter-protesters intimidated the pro-Palestinian protesters into ending the event early.[274][275] One counter-protester was filmed making monkey noises towards a Black protester,
causing backlash.[276] The White House called it racist and undignified.[277]
About 50 protesters from the university and the community gathered at
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. An alumnus of the school who is a current student at Columbia University spoke at the event. Police from
Richmond Heights,
St. Louis County,
St. Louis Metro, and Washington University were called to disburse the small crowd.[279][280] On April 27, more than 80 protesters were arrested,[77] including
Green Party U.S. presidential candidate
Jill Stein and her campaign managers, according to the campaign's communications director.[281] During the arrests, police broke the ribs of history professor Steve Tamari.[282]
Around 200 people demonstrated at
Dartmouth College's campus on April 25.[291] Another protest was held at the
University of New Hampshire on the same day, where demonstrators called for UNH to divest from companies based in Israel.[292] Additional protests were held at both universities on May 1, with police arresting protesters at both locations as they attempted to set up encampments.[293][294] Police in riot gear arrested 90 people at Dartmouth.[295][296] Among the arrested included history professor
Annelise Orleck, who described the police actions as "brutal" and "punitive", after she was tackled and knelt on by police.[297]
On April 22, faculty and staff at
Princeton issued a pledge to withhold labor from Columbia University until it meets their demands to reinstate students who were wrongly suspended for protesting, remove the
NYPD from Columbia campus and reverse the suspension of two pro-Palestinian student groups.[299] On April 24, plans for a "Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment" were intercepted by the conservative leaning
National Review.[300] On April 15, about 100 students started an encampment in McCosh Courtyard, declaring "We're gonna be here until the University
divests." Two people were arrested before 10 am.[301]
Demonstrations took place in
Princeton University and
Rutgers University on April 29, with an encampment being built on the
College Avenue Campus in
New Brunswick.[302][303] Two days later, protesters at Rutgers'
Newark campus set up an encampment in front of
Rutgers Law School.[304] On May 2, the encampment on College Avenue was given a deadline by the university to leave or face action by law enforcement.[305] Shortly after the deadline, protesters dismantled the encampment after reaching an agreement with administrators.[306]
New Mexico
On April 24, a solidarity encampment set up near the duck pond at
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Protesters demanded that the university divest from Israel and arms manufacturers that are known to use research from UNM faculty and students.[307][308] Police detained 16 people at the student union on the night of April 29.[309] On May 14, UNM gave protesters an
ultimatum to leave the encampment. The twenty-four day old encampment was still in place more than twelve hours after the deadline. About 50 people were given formal
notice to vacate by police.[310] On May 15, dozens of protesters were arrested for criminal trespass and wrongful use of property.[311] On May 16, the UNM Board of Regent's took
public comment at a chaotic scheduled meeting.[312]
An encampment was set up at
New Mexico State University in
Las Cruces on April 29.[313] On April 6, the protesters voluntarily dismantled their encampment after the University president stated that they could not locate any investments in Israel. On April 9, protesters organized a
sit-in at Hadley Hall at NMSU. Police arrested 13 people on charges ranging from misdemeanor trespassing, vandalism and assaulting a peace officer.[83][314]
New York
People's University for Palestine at Cornell University
From top clockwise: A mural in solidarity with Gaza. The encampment on April 25, 2024. Group of Students performing Palestinian music. Diagram displaying the "People's University for Palestine" encampment as of May 1, 2024. Example of reading material handed out during "Teach-In" sessions.
Students at
Barnard College joined the encampment at Columbia University. 53 students were arrested and suspended, but the college reversed "nearly all" the suspensions.[315]
Authorities at NYU have alleged that some participants in the protests had no link to the university, and Columbia's president alleged that people not affiliated with the university had joined the protests, exploiting and increasing tensions on campus.[319]
On April 22, 2024,
Cornell University undergraduates supported, by a 2–1 margin, a referendum calling for a permanent ceasefire and divestment from weapons manufacturers supporting Israel.[320] On April 25, 2024, Cornell students erected an encampment, calling on the university to divest from companies involved with the "ongoing genocide" in Gaza.[321] Cornell University suspended four student protesters on April 27, 2024.[322] Three days later, Cornell administrators threatened students with a second wave of suspensions.[323] Two additional students were suspended by Cornell.[324] One of the suspended students stated, "We've had death threats. We've had – while we were praying Salat al-Jum'ah – we've had police videoing and take pictures of us".[325]
A group called "
The New School's Students for Justice in Palestine" established a solidarity encampment inside the University Center building on April 21.[326] On April 25, a student-built encampment was established at the West Harlem campus of the
City College of New York (CCNY). The encampment was joined by a number of
Hasidic Jews.[327] The same day, students at the
Fashion Institute of Technology occupied the school's Shirley Goodman Resource Center building.[328]
More than a dozen tents were spotted at a solidarity encampment at
University of Rochester's
River Campus on April 23.[329] On April 24, the university's faculty senate stated its intention to investigate its ties to Israel.[330] An encampment was set up at
Syracuse University on April 29.[331]
A protest was held at
Fordham University on April 25.[339] Five days later on May 1 an encampment was set up, which was cleared by the NYPD later in the day.[340]
On April 30, nearly 300 students were arrested at Columbia and CCNY.[341] One day prior, members of the
Professional Staff Congress voted to strike on
May Day in support of the
CUNY students' demands, an action considered significant due to the prohibition of strikes by public sector workers under the
Taylor Law.[342]
On May 3, in the early morning, police cleared two encampments, arresting 13 protesters at NYU and 43 at the New School.[350][351] Around noon, hundreds more protested the clearings near the
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library at NYU. Witnesses who alleged the police did not give those arrested their
Miranda warnings spoke at this rally.[352]
On May 17, protesters at Bard College began occupying a building on campus. They dubbed the building "Shaima's Hall", in honor of Shaima Refaat Alareer, daughter of poet
Refaat Alareer.[358]
On May 23, several protesters walked out of the
College of Staten Island graduation ceremony in support of Gaza. A group of protesters got into an argument with a CUNY public safety officer, during which the officer told the protesters "I support genocide" and "I support killing all you guys, how about that?". A College of Staten Island spokesperson said the officer was suspended pending further review.[359]
Eight CUNY law students filed a lawsuit against the school relating to policy changes at their commencement ceremony on May 23 alleging violation of free speech rights.[360]
The first encampment was dismantled when university president
Minouche Shafik authorized the
New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus on April 17 and conduct mass arrests.[362][363] A new encampment was built the next day. The administration then entered into negotiations with protesters, which failed on April 29 and resulted in the suspension of student protesters.[364] The next day, protesters broke into and occupied
Hamilton Hall,[365] leading to a second NYPD raid, the arrest of more than 100 protesters, and the full dismantling of the camp.[366] The arrests marked the first time Columbia allowed police to suppress campus protests since the
1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War.[367] On May 31, the third encampement was established on campus.[368]
As a result of the protests, Columbia University switched to
hybrid learning (incorporating more online learning) for the rest of the semester.[369] The protests encouraged
other actions at multiple universities. Several antisemitic incidents took place during the protests.[370] Organizers have said they were the work of outside agitators and non-students.[371] Pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters have said that incidents of antisemitism by protesters are not representative of the protest movement.[370] On May 6, the school administration canceled the
university-wide graduation ceremony scheduled for May 15.[372]
North Carolina
A solidarity encampment zone at
University of North Carolina at Charlotte was set up on April 22. They were told by security to disembark but they decided to remain until at least April 25 when the Board of Trustees meets again.[373]
A pro-Palestinian rally was held at
Duke University on April 26.[376] Police arrested a woman during a protest at
North Carolina State University on April 30. The protest had been organized to support demonstrators at UNC-Chapel Hill.[377]
An encampment was set up at
Wake Forest University on May 1. Campus police dismantled it on May 3.[378] At the
University of North Carolina at Asheville, protesters staged a "soft encampment" protest. Organizers said they would leave when the semester ended and would not stay overnight.[379]
On April 19, SJP organizers at
Miami University staged a walkout with about 15 students in support of protestors that had been arrested at Columbia. The
University of Cincinnati SJP chapter promoted the Ohio State University encampments.[255] The same day, students at
Case Western Reserve University held a
die-in during Admitted Students Day.[381] Police detained at least twenty people at an encampment at Case Western on April 29.[382]
After a gathering at a campus amphitheater and a protest outside of a board meeting, two students at
Ohio State University (OSU) were arrested for
criminal trespass on April 23.[383] Two days later, a third student was arrested outside of the
Ohio Union during a Gaza encampment around 10 am, with campus police demanding that the protestors vacate the space since they had not reserved it.[384]
On April 25, the OSU student newspaper The Lantern initially reported that there were state troopers on the roof of the
Ohio Union, saying that they were unarmed and citing Ben Johnson, a university spokesperson, who had said that they had only been using surveillance scopes. The Lantern later deleted the article and published a new version as Johnson later said that the troopers used long-range firearms, starting at around 10 pm.[385][386]
On April 29, students at Oberlin College held a rally and established an encampment.[387][388] The month before, student representatives of Students for a Free Palestine and Jews for a Free Palestine met with administrators to discuss a formal divestment from Israeli companies.[382]
On May 2, an encampment was set up at Miami University.[391]
On May 4, a protest was held at
Kent State University. The protest occurred during a ceremony marking the 54th anniversary of the
Kent State shootings, where National Guard members shot and killed four people during an anti-war protest.[392][393]
On May 11, police at
Xavier University arrested two protesters outside of the university's undergraduate ceremony. The two were charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, and conspiracy while wearing disguise, a felony charge for committing a crime (including misdemeanors) with two or more people while wearing masks.[394]
Following protests at
Portland State University (PSU), university president
Ann Cudd announced on April 26 that the school would pause all ties to
Boeing. While the university does not currently invest in the company, it had previously accepted philanthropic gifts from Boeing.[400] On April 29, protesters occupied the
Branford Price Millar Library at PSU.[399] On May 2, police arrested 12 people occupying the library.[401] On the same day, police also arrested a man who drove a vehicle into a crowd of protestors at PSU.[402]
At
University of Pennsylvania, college leaders announced they would be holding a "listening session" but students expressed disinterest.[409] On April 24, hundreds of demonstrators marched through Philadelphia, stopping at
Temple University,
City Hall, and
Drexel University, before setting up a solidarity encampment at
University of Pennsylvania.[410][411] On May 1, the seventh day of the encampment at the University of Pennsylvania, a man was arrested after spraying the encampment with an unknown chemical substance.[412]
Students at
University of Pittsburgh declared a "Liberation Zone" on the lawn outside the
Cathedral of Learning and made demands that the university declare and divest from investing in Israel.[415][416] City police and campus police asked the group to move off-campus to nearby
Schenley Plaza and the group agreed.[417]
On May 10, police raided and disbursed the encampment at
University of Pennsylvania. At least 33 were arrested.[426] Protesters marched through
University City in Philadelphia to the home of UPenn's interim president.[427]
A new encampment was set up at Drexel University on May 18.[428]n By 8pm, officers from Drexel University Police and the
Philadelphia Police Department set up a blockade to prevent people from entering the encampment.[429] On May 20, Drexel president John Fry pledged that "all necessary steps" would be taken to clear the encampment.[430] Campus operations returned to normal despite extra security surrounding the encampment.[431]
Rhode Island
At 6 am on April 24, about 80 students set up tents on the Main Green at
Brown University in
Providence, Rhode Island. Their demands were to drop charges against 41 students who took part in a
sit-in last December and that the university divest from "companies enabling and profiting from Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territory."[432] On April 30, encampment organizers came to an agreement with Brown's governing body to clear the Main Green encampment in exchange for the body to vote on divestment from companies affiliated with Israel in October 2024.[433]
On April 6,
Vanderbilt University expelled three students following a 24-hour sit-in in an administrative building; according to the university, the students forced their way into the building and injured a community service officer.[441][442] Students continued the encampment on campus.[443] On April 30, a group of protesters held a sit-in at the All Saints Chapel at
Sewanee: The University of the South.[444][445]
On May 1, both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel peaceful protest groups arrived at the
University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville.[446] The protestors were given a deadline of 9 p.m. on May 2 to vacate the public space. When this deadline was not met, nine (seven students and two unaffiliated) were arrested and later released with citations.[447] Palestine supporters continued to assemble at the location on May 3.[448]
Texas
Around 100
University of Texas at Dallas students participated in an April 23 occupation of a campus building, holding a sit-in in a hallway near the university president's office.[449][450] UT Dallas students established an encampment on May 1, which was removed by the end of the day.[451]
On April 24, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee student group at the
University of Texas at Austin initiated a walkout and sit-in on the South Mall of the campus.[459][460] According to The Dallas Morning News, students were arrested when
Texas state troopers were deployed to disperse protesters.[461] At least 50 troops in
riot gear descended upon the encampment.[462] The scene was later described by AP News as hundreds of local and state police, including some on horse back and holding batons, aggressively bulldozing into the protestors and arresting 57. One student called the protest peaceful, until the police presence and called the police and their action an "overreaction."[229] In a tweet, Texas governor
Greg Abbott stated the UT Austin protesters "belong in jail",[463] leading the
Council on American-Islamic Relations to state, "The First Amendment applies to the State of Texas, whether Greg Abbott likes it or not".[464] A
Travis County attorney stated, "It is not the role of the criminal justice system... to assist our governor in efforts to suppress nonviolent and peaceful demonstrations".[465]
A photographer with local television station
Fox 7 Austin was arrested after reportedly being caught in a scuffle between law enforcement and students on April 24, with the station reposting the viral footage to Twitter, stating their employee was pushed by an officer into another before being thrown to the ground and arrested.[466][467] Another Texas journalist was knocked down and seen bleeding before being handed off to emergency medical staff by police. The officers ended up leaving after a few hours and about 300 demonstrators moved back to sit and chant near the clock tower.[229]
On April 25, charges were dismissed against 46 of those arrested at the UT Austin protest.[468] A university statement said that almost half of the people who were arrested during the protest were not students or staff affiliated with the university and were part of "outside groups"[469][470] US Representative
Greg Casar joined protestors on April 25.[266][471] That day, a previously planned demonstration by a local Texas State Employees Union chapter, initially intended to protest the anti-
DEI legislation
SB 17, incorporated additional pro-Palestine protest activity.[472]
Over 90 people were arrested at UT Austin on April 29 at an encampment established that day.[473] In a statement, the university claimed that protest organizers had issued threats to the school ahead of the demonstration.[474] Protesters gathered outside the
Travis County Jail that evening to protest the arrests.[473]
On May 1, students at six universities in the San Antonio area delivered letters to their respective college presidents, with demonstrations being held at UT San Antonio,
Texas A&M University–San Antonio, and
San Antonio College.[477]
On May 2, an encampment was set up at UT Arlington.[478]
On May 8, police arrested two people at the University of Houston after an encampment was set up by protesters.[479]
A large student and faculty Pro-Palestinian protest occurred on April 24, 2024, demanding a ceasefire in the
Israel-Hamas War and that the university divest from companies profiting from Israel's actions.[480] In response, the university, under the explicit direction of President Hartzell,[481][482] requested the assistance of the
Austin Police Department (APD) and the
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), in coordination with
Texas GovernorGreg Abbott, in an attempt to quell said protests and an "occupation" of the university,[483][484] in contrast to
free speech on campus laws praised by Abbott and the university in prior years.[485] The deployment of multiple police units led to the confirmed arrest of 57 protesters, including a photojournalist for Fox 7 Austin, with several more detained.[486][487][488][489][490] Charges were then dismissed against 46 protesters the next day, leading to their subsequent release,[491][480][492] with the charges against the remaining 11 protesters dropped on April 26, 2024.[493]
On April 25, 2024, more than 1,000 students, faculty, and staff protested outside of the
Main Building calling for President Hartzell's resignation, along with the local chapter of the
American Association of University Professors circulating a petition for a official motion of no-confidence against him.[494][495] Within 72 hours, more than 500 professors and instructors, around 13% of all faculty, had already signed the petition, including several department chairs, such as
Diana Marculescu, and a dean for the College of Liberal Arts.[496] On April 29, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.
Central Daylight Time, the letter was formally delivered to President Hartzell, with 539 signatures, with the form remaining open for further signatures.[497] An separate group of 165 faculty, including
Steve Vladeck, also signed an open letter condemning President Hartzell's actions for quelling free speech and endangering the campus community.[498][499]
On April 29, 2024, a surprise protest occurred where protestors set up tents on campus and refused to leave when confronted by UTPD. Subsequently, APD and Texas DPS officers arrived at the scene and surrounded the encampment, leading to its dismantling, and the arrest of several protestors. Several protestors then moved to confront the police to block their departure and further, leading to the usage of
pepper spray and
stun grenades by law enforcement.[500] Additionally, several protestors had to receive medical attention due to the sweltering heat.[501] In total, 79 protestors were arrested, with 78 criminal trespassing charges, one "obstructing a highway" charge, and one "interference of public duties" charge filed.[502] This escalation drew further condemnation, above all for the usage of riot-dispersing tactics.[503]Travis County Attorney Delia Garza further stated that the way that the university handled the protests put a strain on the local criminal justice system, specifically reprimanding the sending of protestors to jail for low-level charges.[504]
On April 28, encampments were set up at the
University of Vermont (UVM),
Middlebury College, and
Sterling College.[508][509] Protestors at UVM held a "
Liberation Seder" led by
Jewish Voice for Peace and UVM Jews for Liberation.[510][511] In addition to demands similar to those of other encampments, UVM students called for the cancellation of a planned commencement speech by
Linda Thomas-Greenfield. On 1 May, UVM said it would disclose the investments in its endowment portfolio in response to student demands.[512] On 3 May, UVM agreed to cancel Thomas-Greenfield's commencement speech.[513]
Protesters at the
University of Virginia (UVA) held a die-in on April 19.[515][516] An encampment was later set up on April 30.[517] On May 4, police in riot gear, using pepper spray, cleared the encampment at UVA, arresting 27 people.[518][519]
On April 26, students at the
University of Mary Washington set up an encampment on the Jefferson Square lawn.[520] On April 27, police arrested and charged 12 protestors with trespassing while clearing the encampment.[521][522]
On April 26, students at
Virginia Tech set up an encampment outside the Graduate Life Center.[523][524] Protestors called on the
Virginia Tech Foundation to disclose its investments and to divest from Israeli companies, and denounced an antisemitic harassment campaign led by Hokies for Israel and
Hillel at Virginia Tech.[525][526] On April 28, police cleared the encampment, arresting 82 people.[527][528][529]
On April 29, students set up an encampment outside of the library at
Virginia Commonwealth University.[530] That same evening, police in riot gear surrounded the encampment and shot tear gas at the peaceful protestors to clear the area.[531] 13 people were arrested and charged with trespassing.[532]
On April 25, students at
Whitman College held a walk-out and protest at Ankeny Field, placing 340 white flags for Palestinians killed since October 7.[538] Protesters later set up an encampment on May 3.[539]
On May 1, police in riot gear cleared the encampment at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, arresting 34 people.[548] The encampments were promptly rebuilt.[549] Two professors, Sami Schalk and Samer Alatout, were among the arrested; Alatout was bloodied by police.[548] Three members of the police were injured.[550]
On May 10, University of Wisconsin-Madison protesters agreed to voluntarily dismantle their encampment after the University agreed to increase support for students affected by the crises in Palestine and the Ukraine.[83]
A protest was held outside the University Center at the
University of Montana on April 28. Protesters demonstrated outside a fundraiser where
Donald Trump Jr. and other Republicans were meeting.[559]
^"US college protests: Who are the student groups and others involved". Reuters. April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024. Among the lead student groups in the coalition are the Columbia chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. The two decades-old anti-Zionism advocacy groups that protest Israel's military occupation have chapters across the country that have been key to protests on other campuses.
^Treisman, Rachel (May 1, 2024).
"How some faculty members are defending student protesters, in actions and in words". NPR.
Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024. It's one of several schools around the country where professors are getting arrested at demonstrations, circulating letters in support of arrested protesters and holding no-confidence votes in their administrations.
Makoii, Akhtar (May 8, 2024).
"Pro-Palestinian protesters project 'student intifada' slogan onto university". The Telegraph.
Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University on Wednesday after protesters projected a US flag in flames and slogans including "Long live the student intifada" onto a building overnight.
Alvarez, Maximillian (May 3, 2024).
"Inside the 'Student Intifada': A roundtable with campus organizers". The Real News Network.
Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024. It is being called the Student Intifada, a grassroots protest movement spreading to different college and university campuses around the country involving students at over a hundred campuses, setting up encampments, occupations and protests (...)
Starr, Michael (May 7, 2024).
"'Student intifada here to stay': Harvard activists defy suspension threat". The Jerusalem Post.
Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024. Anti-Israel activists groups defied Harvard University warnings that their protest encampment must dissolve under threat of suspension, proclaiming the campus occupation movement a "student intifada" in a press conference on Monday.
Multiple sources: Ferré-Sadurní, Luis; Edmonds, Colbi; Cruz, Liset (April 21, 2024).
"Some Jewish Students Are Targeted as Protests Continue at Columbia". The New York Times.
ISSN0362-4331.
Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024. Those demonstrations took a dark turn on Saturday evening, as protesters targeted some Jewish students with antisemitic vitriol that was captured in video and pictures, both inside and outside the campus.
Perry, Nick; Collins, Dave; Price, Michelle L. (April 23, 2024).
"Pro-Palestinian protests sweep US college campuses following mass arrests at Columbia". The Associated Press.
Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group's Oct. 7 invasion ... He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.
"Efforts to tackle student protests in America have backfired badly". The Economist. April 23, 2024.
Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024. He kept being told: "You're interpreting it wrong", but this week there was no misinterpreting, he says, the undercurrent of antisemitism on campus. "We're coming for you," other Jewish students say they were told: "Get off our campus."
Rosman, Katherine (April 26, 2024).
"Columbia Bars Student Protester Who Said 'Zionists Don't Deserve to Live'". The New York Times.
ISSN0362-4331.
Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024. Video of the incendiary comments resurfaced online Thursday evening, forcing the school to again confront an issue at the core of the conflict rippling across campuses nationwide: the tension between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism.Diver, Tony (April 27, 2024).
"Dispatch: Jewish students confront extreme anti-Semitism at Columbia protest camp". The Telegraph.
ISSN0307-1235.
Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024. At Boston's Northeastern University, Police in riot gear cleared an encampment after crowds were heard chanting antisemitic slurs including "kill the Jews".
^Spiegel, Anna; Dil, Cuneyt; Montgomery, Mimi (April 26, 2024).
"Gaza protests on campus". Axios.
Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.