In the United States, a wave of protests has swept across university campuses in support of Palestinians. Over 2,000 students have been arrested for participating in these demonstrations, which call for an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and action from President Joe Biden to stop the violence. Additionally, these protesters are calling on their universities to divest from companies that support the Israeli government, such as arms supply companies.
At the University of Virginia, tensions rose as police arrested at least 25 student protesters and cleared a sit-in camp. The university stated that the protesters had violated policies by setting up tents and using loudspeakers. In response, university President Jim Ryan expressed concerns about outside individuals joining the protests on campus.
Similar protests occurred at other universities, but not all resulted in arrests. In Ann Arbor, students boycotted the beginning of the University of Michigan’s graduation ceremony to show solidarity with Palestinians. While this caused some disruption, campus police ultimately did not make any arrests.
The conflict surrounding the Israeli war in Gaza has led to varying viewpoints and acts of violence at American universities over the past few weeks. Several universities, including Columbia University, have called in police to control protests. This has prompted some universities to change their security protocols for graduation ceremonies. However, peaceful protests have been a longstanding tradition at these events, with universities supporting freedom of expression.