Why college campuses across US are witnessing raging protests

On April 18, over 100 students protesting the war against Gaza were arrested from Columbia University campus. (Reuters photo)

Colleges and universities across the United States (US) have been rocked by protests over the Israel-Hamas war leading to hundreds of arrests. Students have raised calls for an end to US military assistance for Israel. Denouncing the 'genocide' in Gaza, protesters last week set up tents in Columbia University and flew Palestine flags as well.

On October 7, 2023 Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel leaving 1,200 people dead in the most brutal massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. In response, Israel's military offensive has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to its health ministry, and destroyed much of the territory.

What led to the protests?

While tensions have been high at many universities ever since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, student protests in the US intensified last week with encampments at various campuses including Columbia, NYU and Yale. On April 18, over 100 students protesting the war against Gaza were arrested from Columbia University campus with cops also slapping charges (not amounting to criminal record) of trespassing.

The worst of the scenes were captured at the New York University where angry agitators (students as well as faculties) took to violence and attacked NYPD officers. According to deputy commissioner of operations Kaz Daughtry, some members of the protesting crowd ‘chose violence’ and whacked the responding cops with bottles, with one hitting a cop on his helmet with a chair. The officer took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a couple of images along with a short clip and wrote, “When NYU asked the NYPD to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to disperse and were “interfering with the safety and security of our community.,” our officers moved in without delay. Unfortunately, as they were dispersing the crowd, some chose violence and pelted the police with bottles & chairs”.

Dozens of pro-Palestine protesters were also arrested from Yale University in Connecticut on April 22. Demonstrators blocked traffic around Yale University campus demanding the school divest from military weapons manufacturers.

Anti-semitism incidents on campus?

The New York University told the CNN that it asked NYPD to intervene on April 22 after intimidating chants and several anti-semitiic incidents were reported. A group ‘Students Supporting Israel’ cited instances of intimidation and verbal attacks targeting Jewish, Israeli as well as Zionist students.

All such claims were, however, refuted by the pro-Palestine protesters. “Being anti-Israel or anti-zionism - calling for a Jewish-exclusive state - was not the same as anti-semitism, which means the hatred for and of all Jews,” they said.

Last week, Columbia University president Minouche Shafik also testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on alleged anti-semitism in the college campus. The university has faced criticism not just for its handling of anti-semitic incidents on campus but also for hiring a professor who allegedly expressed support for Hamas on social media.

Hybrid learning for Columbia students

Columbia University students have been instructed that lectures will be held in a hybrid or virtual manner. In an email to Columbia staff and students on, president Shafik said the university was cancelling in-person classes and moving to online teaching to "deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps."

“Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations,” the University said in an announcement on April 22 night.

"All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality. Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation. If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week," the University’s provost Angela V Olinto wrote in a statement.

In addition, the prestigious institute also advised its administrative officers and support staff to work from home.