Widespread arrests as pro-Palestainian protest escalate on US campuses

Recent protests over the Gaza conflict have gripped several prestigious US universities, leading authorities to intervene amid growing demonstrations.

Police took action to disband a gathering at New York University (NYU) on Monday night, resulting in multiple arrests.

Earlier in the day, Yale University witnessed dozens of student arrests, while Columbia University opted to cancel in-person classes in response to escalating tensions.

The Israel-Gaza conflict, sparked by a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, has sparked intense debates on US campuses about free speech and the ongoing crisis.

Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine student groups in the US have reported an uptick in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the conflict began.

President Joe Biden addressed the protests on Monday, condemning both the "antisemitic protests" and  "those who don‍‍`t understand what‍‍`s going on with the Palestinians".

The protest movement gained attention last week when New York City police arrested over 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.

Similar demonstrations have since emerged at other universities, including NYU, Yale, University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Michigan, Emerson College, and Tufts.

At NYU, protesters are urging the university to disclose and divest its "finances and endowments from weapons manufacturers and companies with an interest in the Israeli occupation"

Alejandro Tanon, a student protester, likened the current moment to past demonstrations against the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa, emphasizing solidarity with Palestine and all oppressed peoples.

"We stand with Palestine and we stand with the liberation of all people," one protester told the CBS News.

NYU stated that around 50 individuals were part of the main encampment, located outside the business school. The university described the protest as unauthorized and disruptive to classes.

Police initiated arrests on Monday evening, although they have not provided an exact figure.