An increasing number of universities in the United States are witnessing protests on campus by the students leading to arrests and even shutting down campuses in the wake of the Gaza war. The students are gathering in protest encampments demanding their schools to stop doing business with Israel or any company that is facilitating its advancement in Gaza which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians so far since the October 7 war with Hamas.
The number of protests on US college campuses popped up after more than 100 demonstrators were arrested at Columbia University last week. On Wednesday, clashes between students and police were reported from at least two university campuses while another university shut down its campus for the rest of the week.
The protest at Columbia University sparked demonstrations at Harvard University, the University of Texas, the University of Southern California, Ohio State University, California State Polytechnic University, New York University, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, Yale University, and the University of California.
Why Are Students Protesting
The protests mainly stem from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement — a decades-old campaign against the policies of Israel towards the Palestinians — which has only strengthened among the pro-Palestinian factions as the Israel-Hamas war surpasses the six-month mark and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza sparked international calls for a ceasefire.
"They should stop investing in this genocide,” said Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil noting that the students at the university have been demanding divestment from Israel since 2002, as per an AP report.
The students are also demanding a permanent ceasefire, an end to the assistance by the US military to Israel and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
The protestors which include students and faculty from various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths are also pushing their university to stop accepting research money from Israel for projects that aid the country's military efforts.