Pro-Palestinian protests are gaining momentum on college campuses across the US, echoing the spirit of the 1960s anti-Vietnam War protests. Since April 18, over 400 individuals have been arrested, starting with a demonstration at Columbia University in New York. The movement has since spread to campuses from California to Georgia, and from Boston to Florida.
Police have been clashing with demonstrators at various universities, including Emerson College in Atlanta, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, and in Washington DC. Students are calling on their universities to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel, organizing encampments, sit-ins, and protests.
Protests continue at Columbia University, Harvard, New York University, and UC Berkeley. Notable incidents include the removal of Noelle McAfee, the chair of the philosophy department at Emory University in Atlanta, and the presence of Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar at Columbia University. Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was among the protesters who were cleared from the university by police last week.