Arrests at US universities as Gaza protests grow
STORY: Pro-Palestinian protests escalated across top U.S. universities Monday.
After nightfall, riot police broke up demonstrations at New York University and carried out mass arrests.
Hundreds of protesters had defied university orders to leave a plaza where they gathered.
They shouted chants urging NYU authorities to divest from efforts linked to Israel’s war effort in Gaza.
At New York's Columbia University, police detained several protesters.
Earlier in the day, the school cancelled in-person classes to deescalate tensions after last week's crackdown on a pro-Palestinian protester tent city, that saw over 100 students arrested.
Ongoing protests in top universities are a response to the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began on October 7 with a deadly raid by Hamas Islamist militants into Israel, and Israel's fierce response in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Some Columbia faculty, including professor David Lurie, spoke on Monday against the school suspending students who joined the action.
"We demand that all Barnard College and Columbia University's suspensions and charges be dismissed immediately and expunged from the students' records."
Columbia University President Nemat Shafik had denounced antisemitic language and harassing behavior that she said had occurred on campus recently.
Protesters on Columbia’s lawn have given speeches condemning Israel and Zionism and praising Palestinian armed resistance.
Officers are posted to Manhattan streets, to prevent confrontations between rival groups.
Meanwhile, student media at Yale University in Connecticut say at least 45 students were arrested Monday, linked to pro-Palestinian rallies that blocked traffic.
Similar protests were seen at Emerson College, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Human rights advocates say there's been a rise in bias and hate against Jews, Arabs and Muslims since October 7, and concerns grow as the Jewish holiday of Passover began on Monday.
