Throughout May 1, close to 2,000 individuals had been apprehended on over two dozen university and college campuses spanning at least 22 states.
Typically, May signifies the period of final exams and commencement ceremonies at educational institutions. However, it is now May 2, and numerous campuses across the United States are gripped by tense standoffs between pro-Palestinian demonstrators, some of whom have set up fortified encampments on quads, and riot police.
On May 1, around 300 people were taken into custody on college campuses from Manhattan to Madison, Wisconsin, and from Dallas to Denver. The majority of arrests occurred as individuals resisted, often passively, law enforcement efforts to disband makeshift occupations of public spaces.
Pro-Palestinian factions advocating for an end to the conflict in Gaza and divestment from Israel have embroiled more than 50 universities and colleges across over 30 states in the largest wave of campus unrest since the anti-apartheid protests of the 1980s and the Vietnam War protests of the ’60s and ’70s.
Since the arrest of 108 Columbia University students on April 18 in New York City on their Morningside campus in Manhattan, nearly 2,000 individuals have been detained on more than two dozen university and college campuses across at least 22 states as of May 1.
On May 1, Manhattan saw continued turmoil following the apprehension of nearly 300 individuals the previous night, with law enforcement dispersing occupiers from Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, resulting in 109 arrests, and from an administration building at the City College of New York in Harlem, leading to 173 detentions.
Early on May 2, officials at Fordham University’s Manhattan campus were assessing the damage to its Lowenstein Center, where protesters had vandalized property, including smashing glass doors and spray-painting walls, before being removed by police. Approximately 15 individuals were taken into custody.
In New Orleans on May 1, at least 14 people were arrested as campus police cleared protesters from Tulane University. In Dallas, 17 arrests were made as individuals tried to establish an encampment at the University of Texas.
University of Wisconsin authorities mentioned on May 1 that they were investigating the actions of individuals from outside their campus community who might have instigated unrest. Additionally, at least 90 individuals were apprehended at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire for criminal trespass and resisting arrest.
The presence of “outside agitators” has been highlighted by officials at various institutions, including Dartmouth University and the University of Wisconsin, as well as New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who identified “professional protesters” guiding non-student demonstrators onto campuses to engage in orchestrated actions.
Concerns over the involvement of “instigators” arose following violent clashes at UCLA on May 1, where counter-demonstrators attacked a Palestinian Solidarity Encampment. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block attributed the disruptive actions to “instigators” not affiliated with campus student groups.
As of early May 2, hundreds of protesters remained at the UCLA encampment despite orders to disperse. Law enforcement agencies were prepared to intervene and dismantle the occupation. Scuffles and arrests were reported as tensions escalated on campus.
While no confrontations between demonstrators and counter-protesters had been reported, law enforcement from multiple agencies were on standby to bring the UCLA encampment to an end.
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