Riot Police Crack Down on US College Protests Against Gaza War

Police presence on US university campuses surged after the forceful clearings of weeks-long protests against Israel’s war with Hamas. At the University of California, Los Angeles, dozens of police cars patrolled in response to violent clashes when counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment. At Columbia University in New York City, police were on standby after officers ended protests there.

Some students expressed dismay at the heavy police presence, while others acknowledged its necessity for campus safety. At Columbia and the City University of New York, students criticized the “rough and aggressive” tactics used by officers during the overnight clearings. They reported assaults, brutal arrests, and injuries including severe head traumas, concussions, and unconsciousness caused by police actions.

Approximately 300 arrests were made at Columbia and CUNY, with the police commissioner attributing tensions to “outside agitators,” a claim disputed by the students. University administrators faced the challenge of balancing free speech rights with complaints of criminal activity, anti-Semitism, and hate speech as the protests unfolded. President Biden’s administration sought to acknowledge the rights of students to protest peacefully while critiquing disruptive behavior, with former President Trump expressing support for the police response at Columbia.

In Los Angeles, counter-protesters engaged in violent actions toward the pro-Palestinian encampment, prompting police intervention. Similar incidents occurred at Fordham University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Texas in Dallas, and the University of Arizona. These events reflect the broader context of escalating tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict, with casualties on both sides.

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