Pro-Palestinian protests in colleges escalate following Columbia arrests

Protests over the war in Gaza have taken hold at a handful of elite US universities as officials scramble to defuse demonstrations. Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public Monday.

The wave of Pro-Palestinian demonstrations has been marred by alleged antisemitic incidents, which the White House has condemned. With rising tensions on campus, Columbia said almost all classes on its main campus will be hybrid until the end of the semester. Dozens of students were arrested at Yale on Monday. Police moved to break up an encampment at New York University (NYU) on Monday night. NYU asked the New York Police Department to intervene during the protests after intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents were reported.

Charges of antisemitism on campus have sparked a crisis at Columbia, with President Minouche Shafik facing calls for her resignation or censure. She faces pressure from different sides, including a possible censure resolution from the university senate over the mass arrests on campus that happened the day after her testimony. A group of federal lawmakers, led by New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, has also signed a letter asking for her to step down for a “failure to put an end to the mob of students and agitators calling for acts of terrorism against Jewish students”. Democrats have also called on Columbia to ensure that Jewish students feel safe and welcome.

Rallies have also spread to campuses across the country. Encampments have been set up at the University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan, Emerson College and Tufts.