By Isabelle Wilson-
Hundreds have been arrested during pro Palestinian protests at universities in America.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University (NYU) in Manhattan escalated into confrontations with law enforcement as protests over Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to reverberate across US campuses.
On the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on Monday evening, the university said in a statement. Students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary action.
The police crackdowns came after Columbia University cancelled in-person classes on Monday in response to protesters setting up tent encampments at its New York City campus last week.S
Several hundred people had been protesting on the Yale university campus, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers.
Yale said it had repeatedly asked students to leave, and warned them they could face law enforcement and disciplinary action if they didn’t.
The incidents come in the wake of Columbia University’s recent cancellation of in-person classes following student protests
Despite repeated warnings from the university, demonstrators remained steadfast, leading to the intervention of law enforcement.
In New York, officers moved to dismantle an encampment at Gould Plaza near NYU after protesters defied warnings to vacate the area. Video footage on social media captured tense scenes as police dismantled tents and engaged with demonstrators.
The NYPD reported arrests for disorderly conduct and trespassing violations but did not provide an exact figure.
The crackdowns at Yale and NYU come in the wake of similar actions at Columbia University, where police were called in to clear a tent encampment last week.
Over 100 students were arrested on charges of trespassing, prompting the university to suspend dozens of students involved in the protests.
In response to escalating tensions, Columbia University announced the cancellation of in-person classes to de-escalate the situation.
The developments at Columbia have sparked outrage among faculty members, with hundreds participating in a mass walkout to protest the university president’s handling of the situation.
Bassam Khawaja, an adjunct lecturer at Columbia law school, criticized the president’s decision to involve law enforcement, describing the protests as non-violent and akin to everyday campus life.
The crackdown at Columbia has galvanized solidarity protests at universities across the US, with students demanding their institutions back a ceasefire in Gaza and divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Demonstrations have been reported at Brown, Princeton, Northwestern, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Emerson College, Boston University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.