Students arrested at US colleges for participating in anti-Israel protests

More than 1,000 college students have been arrested across the nation during anti-Israel protests that have erupted on campuses, leading to the creation of “tent cities” at some of America’s most prestigious universities.

The protests were sparked by the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at Columbia University, where over 100 demonstrators were arrested on April 18. Since then, similar protests have taken place at more than 25 campuses nationwide, with several universities seeing over 100 arrests.

At Columbia University, the Manhattan campus lawn has been occupied by protesters for about two weeks, leading to the arrest of 108 people during an attempt to clear out the encampment on April 18. The majority of those arrested were issued summonses.

At New York University, 120 people were arrested on April 22, with 116 protesters receiving summonses for trespassing and four given desk appearance tickets for charges including resisting arrest.

At Cal Poly Humboldt, police made at least 25 arrests after students were warned to clear out the encampment by April 30. Similar arrests have taken place at universities like the University of Southern California, Yale University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

The protests have sparked a nationwide debate on free speech, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the role of universities in facilitating political activism. The arrests have drawn attention to the growing tensions on college campuses and the challenges of balancing academic freedom with public safety.