students protesting war in gaza Northeastern University's graduation ceremony began peacefully at Fenway Park in Boston, while students abandoned their camp at the University of Southern California early Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest.
Both locations were being closely monitored following numerous arrests last month. 94 at USC in Los Angeles There are about 100 in Northeast Boston.
Dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived at the University of Southern California around 4 a.m. to assist campus safety officials. The university had warned of arrests on social media and in person. Video showed some demonstrators packing up and leaving, and police forming a line to push other demonstrators away as the camp emptied. The university said there have been no reports of arrests.
University of Southern California President Carol Folt said it was time to draw the line because “the occupation is moving in a dangerous direction” with parts of the campus being cordoned off and people being harassed.
“The operation was conducted peacefully,” Folt wrote in the update. “Campus is now open, students are back to preparing for finals, and preparations for graduation are in full swing.”
Before USC Major graduation ceremonies have been canceled while allowing other initiation activities to continue.
At Sunday's Northeastern graduation ceremony, some students waved small flags from Palestine and Israel, but more students waved flags from countries such as India and the United States. There was a brief cheer when undergraduate speaker Rebecca Bamidele called for peace in Gaza.
The Associated Press tallied about 2,500 people arrested at about 50 campuses since April 18, based on its reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies.
A series of arrests occurred over the weekend. At the University of Virginia, 25 people were arrested for trespassing on Saturday after police clashed with protesters who refused to remove tents. On the campus of the Art Institute of Chicago, police on Saturday cleared a pro-Palestinian camp hours after it was set up, arresting 68 people who will be charged with trespassing.
arrest in virginia
In Charlottesville, Virginia, student demonstrators began protesting on the lawn outside the school's chapel on Tuesday. Video from Saturday showed police in riot gear and carrying shields lining the campus as protesters chanted “Liberate Palestine.”
Laura Goldblatt, an assistant professor who has been assisting the protesters, told the Washington Post that when police moved in, students were pushed to the ground, had their arms pulled, and were sprayed with chemical irritants. It is said that The university said the protesters were told that school policy prohibits setting up tents and were asked to remove them.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told Fox News on Sunday that the students had been warned of expulsion multiple times, had violated the school's code of conduct, and that outsiders who were not students had attacked protesters. He said the police response was justified because they provided supplies such as wooden fences.
“We have seen people who are not students show up wearing riot gear and holding bull horns and instructing protesters how to flank police officers,” Miyares said. he said.
He said some people filled water bottles with bear spray and threw them at officers.
It was the latest clash in weeks of protests and tensions at U.S. universities.
tent encampment Number of protesters calling for universities to: stop doing business with Israel or the companies they say they support war in gaza spread through student movements Unlike other examples of this century.some schools an agreement was reached We will work with the demonstrators to end the demonstrations and reduce the possibility of disruption to final exams and graduation ceremonies.
Demo starting
The University of Michigan was among the schools preparing for protests. Starting work So did Indiana University, Ohio State University and Northeastern University this weekend. More ceremonies are planned in the coming weeks.
In Ann Arbor, protests erupted at the start of the event at Michigan Stadium. About 75 attendees, many wearing traditional Arabian kaffiyeh and graduation caps, marched down the main aisle toward the stage.
They shouted, “Regent, Regent, you can't hide!” You are funding genocide! ” Holding up placards that read “No universities left in Gaza.''
Overhead, planes carried banners with competing messages. “Withdraw from Israel now! Liberate Palestine!” and “We support Israel. Jewish lives matter.”
Officials said no one was arrested and the protests did not seriously disrupt the roughly two-hour event, which was attended by tens of thousands of people, some waving Israeli flags.
Other protests continue
At Indiana University, demonstrators urged supporters to wear kaffiyeh and leave during President Pamela Witten's speech Saturday night. The Bloomington campus has designated a protest zone outside Memorial Stadium, where the commemoration ceremony was held.
18 students from Princeton University, New Jersey started a hunger strike Trying to force universities to withdraw from companies with ties to Israel. Students at other universities, including Brown University and Yale University, launched similar hunger strikes this year before the latest wave of demonstrations.
The protests stem from the conflict that began on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages. Pledging to annihilate Hamas, Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled area's health ministry. Ta. The enclave was destroyed by Israeli military attacks and most of the population was evacuated.
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Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire, and Marcelo from New York. Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles also contributed. Dennis Lavoie of Richmond, Virginia; Ed White in Detroit and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee.