Protests in Support of Palestine Continue to Stir Controversy on US College Campuses

Pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities have escalated coast-to-coast over the weekend, with students vowing to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met. The demands include a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas, divestment from Israeli military-related enterprises, and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

The protests, sparked by the mass arrest of over 100 people at Columbia University, have now spread to campuses across the country. While the Columbia campus was peaceful on Saturday, crackdowns and arrests continued at other universities, including the University of Southern California (USC) and Washington University in St. Louis.

At Washington University, 2024 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was among the 80 people arrested on Saturday. Stein criticized the heavy police presence, calling it “shameful.” The university stated that those arrested would be charged with trespassing.

Dueling demonstrations are expected to take place at USC on Sunday, with outside groups both supporting and opposing the pro-Palestinian encampments. President Joe Biden has taken notice of the nationwide protests, with White House national security spokesman John Kirby acknowledging the strong feelings surrounding the conflict in Gaza.

The protests have even impacted USC’s commencement ceremony, which was cancelled after a Muslim student’s valedictorian speech was silenced due to anti-Palestinian sentiments. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass supported the decision, citing safety concerns for the expected crowd of 65,000 people on campus.