Protests on College Campuses Decrease Following Crackdowns and Biden’s Criticism

Protests in support of Palestine on U.S. campuses have calmed down on Friday after clashes with police, numerous arrests, and a firm directive from the White House to restore order.

Police in Manhattan cleared a protest encampment at New York University early in the morning, as shown in a video posted on social media by an official. The protesters were seen leaving their tents and dispersing upon instruction.

Compared to crackdowns at other campuses in the country and globally, the scene in Manhattan appeared relatively peaceful. The protests have escalated in recent weeks in response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

University administrators have been trying to manage the right to protest while addressing concerns of violence and hate speech. As a result, police have been called to remove demonstrators in preparation for final exams and graduation ceremonies.

At the University of Chicago, the school president announced that talks with protesters for a compromise had failed, indicating potential intervention by the university to dismantle an encampment.

On the same day, American flag-bearing counter-protesters confronted a pro-Palestinian group at the University of Chicago, but police intervened to separate the two sides, according to local media reports.

Over 2,000 arrests have been made in the past two weeks in the U.S., with some occurring during clashes with law enforcement, leading to allegations of excessive force.

President Joe Biden, under pressure from various political factions regarding the Gaza conflict, expressed his first extensive remarks on the protests on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of maintaining order in the country.

Biden emphasized that while the U.S. values dissent and freedom of speech, it is crucial to uphold order and prevent lawlessness.

His comments came following police action against protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles, where a violent confrontation took place between counter-protesters and demonstrators at an encampment.

On the West coast, protesters at an encampment at the University of California, Riverside reached a compromise with administrators to disband by midnight on Friday. Similar agreements were reached at Rutgers University in New Jersey on Thursday and Brown University in Rhode Island earlier in the week.

Worldwide, Republicans have criticized Biden for not taking a stronger stance against the alleged antisemitic sentiment among the protesters, while facing opposition within his own party for his unwavering support for Israel’s military actions.

Biden reiterated that there is no place for antisemitism or threats against Jewish students on any campus or in the U.S. at large.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona vowed to investigate reports of antisemitism diligently, as protests have also emerged in various countries globally, including Australia, France, Mexico, and Canada.

In Paris, police dispersed students staging a sit-in at Sciences Po university. At Canada’s McGill University, an encampment remains despite demands from administrators to remove it promptly.

The Gaza conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides. Israel estimates that hostages remain in Gaza, and the retaliatory actions have led to significant casualties in the region.