US Campuses Remain on Edge; Fresh Clash Erupts at UCLA, 300 Pro-Palestine Protesters Arrested

Washington: Amid escalating protests by students across several educational institutes in the United States, seeking an end to the Israel-Hamas war, law enforcement from New York to Los Angeles entered campuses to pacify the situation on Wednesday. The pro-Palestinian protesters have been staging demonstrations in the US for last the few days, gathering in large numbers and erecting tents at the campus. Some of them even seized an academic building which was later cleared by police.

As many as 300 students were arrested from City College of New York and Columbia University, where cops were called in to clear a building that had been occupied for nearly a day to protest Israel-Gaza war.

Meanwhile, violent clashes erupted at University of California (UCLA) between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter-protesters which resulted in the intervention by police before Tuesday dawn. This came hours after administrators declared an encampment on campus illegal.

Whereas, at Tulane University in New Orleans, security forces dispersed protesters and arrested14 people. The University of Arizona also witnessed chaos as campus police sprayed chemicals to disperse protesters.

Escalating a battle with the administration for stopping them, some protesters have said they will continue demonstrations and will not step back.

Clashes at University of California

Chaotic scenes unfolded at UCLA after counter-protesters attacked an encampment set up by pro-Palestinians. According to media reports, people were spotted pulling down plywood and wooden pallets, acting as a makeshift barricade to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters, before the police intervened.

The situation was brought under control after a couple of hours as police quelled the violence. However, there were no immediate reports of any injuries. The incident got a swift reaction by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass who called the clash “abhorrent and inexcusable.  

In a post on X, Bass wrote, “The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable. LAPD has arrived on campus (sic).”

Columbia University Unrest

As protest intensified at Columbia University with students gaining access to Hamilton Hall, the New York Police arrived at the campus and cleared all pro-Palestine Protesters from the Hall. The New York Police Department said that dozens of people were arrested. 

The police officials acted after the university's president said that there was no other way to ensure the safety and security of others on the campus. Tensions at the university mounted after the authorities on Tuesday vowed to expel protesters who occupied the building on the New York college's ground as universities across the United States are grappling with intensifying demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war.

Meanwhile, University President Minouche Shafik asked police to stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation.

Reports suggest that over 1,300 protesters have been taken into custody on US campuses since 108 were arrested at Columbia on April 18.