Pro-Palestinian Protest Movement Sweeps U.S. Campuses: Divestment, Tensions Arise

Rewritten Article: Protests in Support of Palestinians at Universities Across America Have Led to Over 600 Student Arrests at Fifteen Different Campuses. These protests primarily focus on calling for divestment from Israeli businesses and breaking ties with universities situated within Israel due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The wave of demonstrations began after Columbia University President Minouche Shafik appeared somewhat aligned with Republican legislators who have consistently criticized pro-Palestinian protests as a threat to Jewish students’ safety on campus following the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. As a result, when student sit-ins emerged at her university, she asked New York City Police Department (NYPD) officials to dissolve these demonstrations. Over fifty such protests have been identified across various states since then, with arrests occurring in California, Minnesota, Colorado and Indiana among others. The University of Texas at Austin witnessed a significant police presence during its protest on Wednesday after students walked out from their classes for the entire day. Chants heard included “Off our campus”, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Israel, Israel, what do you say? How many Gazans did you kill today?” Meanwhile, protests at George Washington University have attracted individuals not affiliated with these universities leading school administrators to raise concerns regarding student safety. Groups such as American Muslims for Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace support these students’ causes through their financial contributions made possible by associations from the progressive Rockefeller Brothers Fund and far-left philanthropist George Soros’s Open Society Network, among others. As of Saturday morning, there were no reported arrests during protests at George Washington University in Washington D.C., Maryland or Virginia area where students had also convened to join their peers’ cause.