Student protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza escalated over the weekend, resulting in hundreds of arrests at college campuses across the United States. Among those detained by police was Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. According to a spokesperson for Jill Stein, she was one of approximately 80 people arrested at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The spokesperson clarified that Stein was not currently facing charges.
The demonstrators are demanding that academic institutions boycott companies and individuals with ties to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians affected by the conflict. However, some Jewish students have voiced concerns about alleged antisemitism from protesters.
The protests have led to disruptions in academic activities, with California State Polytechnic being the latest to announce a shift to remote teaching. In-person classes have been canceled, and graduation ceremonies postponed in response to the protests.
The demonstrations originated at Columbia University on April 17, with tents appearing on the college green. Subsequently, protests spread across the country after police intervened to clear the tents at various campuses, resulting in the arrests of over 100 students.
At Northeastern University in Boston, more than 100 protesters were arrested for trespassing on Saturday after refusing to remove their tents from the college grounds. However, university officials claimed that the protests had been infiltrated by external organizers and alleged incidents of anti-Semitic slurs, which protest leaders vehemently denied.
At the University of Southern California, pro-Palestinian demonstrators returned to campus following a previous police intervention. While the protest was "mostly peaceful", university administration reported vandalism to campus property, leading to the temporary closure of the campus to non-residents.
Twenty-three individuals were arrested at Indiana University on Saturday as protests continued to gain momentum.
The protests are fueled by outrage over Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in significant casualties among Palestinians, after Hamas assaulted Israel in October of last year. Israel vows to retaliate after Iran launched a direct assault on Israel a week ago.
Commentaires