US Universities Call in Police to Manage Pro-Palestinian Protests

Police were called to several US universities to break up demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, resulting in scuffles and numerous arrests. At Emerson College in Boston, 108 people were arrested, and four police officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Emerson cancelled classes on Thursday. Another 93 people were arrested on Wednesday night during a protest at the University of Southern California (USC). Schools are also dealing with the added pressure of May commencement ceremonies.At Columbia University in New York, students erected an encampment where many are set to graduate in front of families in just a few weeks. Columbia continued to negotiate with students after several failed attempts — and more than 100 arrests — to clear the encampment. At USC, tensions were already high after the university cancelled a planned commencement speech by the school's pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns.Officers at the University of Texas at Austin aggressively detained dozens of protesters on Wednesday. In total, 57 people were jailed and charged with criminal trespass. Dane Urquhart, a third-year Texas student, called the police presence and arrests an "overreaction," adding that the protest "would have stayed peaceful" if the officers had not turned out in force.Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling its monthslong conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus as graduation nears, partly prompting a heavier hand from universities.