Student protests against Israel's actions in Gaza escalate across US campuses

Shafaq News/ Student-led protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza have escalated across several major universities in the United States, sparking confrontations with authorities and raising concerns about freedom of speech and campus safety.

Initially sparked at Columbia University in New York, the protests gained momentum and spread to other campuses, including Harvard University, Brown University, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), and the University of Southern California (USC). 

Students are advocating for universities to sever financial ties with Israel and divest from companies accused of supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Tensions reached a peak at UT Austin and USC, where police in riot gear arrested numerous students who attempted to set up encampments in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. 

At UT Austin, hundreds of students staged a walkout and marched to the campus's main lawn to set up an encampment. However, university authorities intervened, calling local and state police to disperse the crowds. The Texas Department of Public Safety reported at least 34 arrests.

At USC, similar efforts by students to set up an encampment were met with force as police officers wearing helmets and holding batons moved in to dismantle the encampment and arrest protesters. The move came after USC Provost Andrew Guzman sent a campus-wide email citing safety concerns and warning of "disciplinary action" against students.

In Los Angeles, helicopters hovered overhead as campus security officials dismantled tents and arrested students. The heavy-handed response has drawn criticism from student activists and civil liberties advocates who argue that using force stifles freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The protests at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, also faced opposition from university administrators. Despite the university closing the space and threatening disciplinary action, hundreds of students set up an encampment at Harvard Yard, calling for divestment from Israel and reinstating a pro-Palestine student group called the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.