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Journalism of Courage
Since the Israel-Hamas war destabilised the region last year, protests have broken out across various educational institutes across the world. The latest one comes at New York’s Columbia University when students pitched tents in the middle of campus and began rallying in support of Palestinians in Gaza on April 17.
Hundreds of them were arrested, raising tensions. Although the exact number of arrests remains unclear, it is believed to have exceeded 1,300 across universities in the US, the Guardian reported. At Columbia alone, the number stands at around 282.
1. Dueling groups of protesters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on Wednesday, engaging in violent confrontations including fistfights, shoving, and the use of sticks. The clashes at UCLA erupted as counter-protesters tried to pull down parade barricades, plywood and wooden pallets protecting a tent encampment built by pro-Palestinian protesters. Video showed fireworks exploding over and in the encampment, as reported by AP.
2. Prior to this, police intervened at Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian protesters had occupied the Hamilton Hall, leading to the disruption of activities at the school. They also unofficially renamed the hall as Hind’s Hall.
3. At UCLA, scuffles between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators prompted police, donned in protective gear, to intervene and separate the groups, eventually calming the situation.
4. Across the United States, law enforcement has been deployed to campuses in response to protests urging universities to divest dealings with Israel or companies supporting the Gaza conflict, resulting in several arrests and confrontations.
5. In some cases, university officials and protest leaders have reached agreements to minimize disruptions to campus life and upcoming events such as commencement ceremonies.
6. The clashes at UCLA took place around a tent encampment built by pro-Palestinian protesters, with counter-protesters attempting to dismantle it, leading to violent scenes including chair throwing and physical assaults.
7. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the violence on social media platform X as “absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable,” in the presence of both the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol officers at the scene.
8. Security was tightened after the university officials called for help. Similarly, New York City officers were called to Columbia University after the school sought help in clearing a tent encampment and reclaiming Hamilton Hall, which had been occupied and vandalized by protesters. The decision to involve law enforcement, according to university statements, was prompted by the disruptive actions of protesters rather than the cause they were advocating for.
9. Columbia University emphasized the importance of maintaining campus life without disruption, repeating that protesters who violate rules and laws will face consequences.
10. Police spokesman Carlos Nieves confirmed the arrests and emphasized the ongoing efforts by universities to address and resolve protest-related disruptions. While there is no official data on the number of injured, CNN reports that 15 people were injured and one hospitalised following the attacks.
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