The agreements at schools including Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amid the chaotic scenes and 2,400-plus arrests on 46 campuses nationwide since April 17. Tent encampments and building takeovers have disrupted classes at some schools, including Columbia and UCLA.
At the core of the demonstrations is a call for universities to divest from companies with ties to the Israeli military, particularly as the conflict in Gaza continues. Some opting for negotiation and others for police intervention.
Demonstrators at Rutgers University — where finals were paused due to the protests on its New Brunswick campus — similarly packed up their tents Thursday afternoon. The state university agreed to establish an Arab Cultural Center and to not retaliate against any students involved in the camp. In a statement, Chancellor Francine Conway noted protesters’ request for divestment from companies doing business with Israel and for Rutgers to cut ties with Tel Aviv University. She said the the request is under review, but “such decisions fall outside of our administrative scope.”
Brown University has agreed to review its investments and to have an advisory committee recommend on divestment by September 30, with a vote by the school’s governing body slated for October. Conversely, other universities have seen law enforcement step in to disband protests, resulting in hundreds of arrests. The University of Southern California canceled its primary commencement event following protest-related arrests.
The arrests have not been limited to students alone. At Emory University, after outside law enforcement officers were called to address a protest, a vote of no confidence against the university president was passed by the College of Arts and Sciences faculty senate.
An officer accidentally discharged his gun as the New York Police Department worked to clear Hamilton Hall — a building that had been occupied by Columbia University students on April 30, Assistant Chief Carlos Valdez, the commanding officer of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, said Friday. There were no injuries and the bullet was contained within the vacant office. Valdes said that at no point were police officers, members of the public or protesters in danger. “This was purely unintentional,” he said.
Relevant articles:
– Arrests of pro-Palestinian college protestors exceeds 2,300 , The Associated Press, 05/04/2024
– Hamas war at Portland State, UCLA, Columbia campuses, CNN, 05/03/2024
– College protests updates: NYPD sergeant accidentally discharged gun at Columbia, ABC News, 05/03/2024
– Nearly half of NYC arrests involved people not affiliated with schools, officials say, NBC News, 05/03/2024