April 30, 2024 - US university protests (2024)

2:21 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Our live coverage of the protests rocking US campuses has moved here

12:35 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Over 100 protesters arrested across 2 New York college campuses, law enforcement official says

From CNN’s Mark Morales

April 30, 2024 - US university protests (1)

Over 100 protesters were arrested Tuesday at Columbia University and City College of New York, according to a law enforcement official.

Most of the arrests were made at Columbia, including about two dozen protesters who police say tried to prevent officers from entering the campus, the official said.

Tactical teams at Columbia first set up a perimeter around the campus to hold back protesters and prevent further arrests, according to the official. Offers then entered the campus through multiple entry points.

12:35 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

"It's still a student-fueledmovement," Columbia student magazine editor says

From CNN's Kathleen Magramo

Jonas Du, editor-in-chief of a Columbia student magazine, told CNN that the protests on campus are student-fueled regardless of any outsider involvement.

It’s “hard to say” whether those arrested from Columbia's Hamilton Hall were students or from outside the institution, the Columbia Sundial editor said.

“Even though campus has been locked down to Columbia ID holders, now there has been ways of getting in, getting non-affiliated into campus. But for the most part you need Columbia IDs, you need students to provide you with IDs that can get you into campus," said Du, who is a junior student at the university.

Du said he believes there is “evidence” of outsideorganizations behind the occupation's planning, but he also says numerous Columbia students were inside Hamilton Hall.

He said he recognized “many, many Columbiastudents in the crowd” that formed human chains around the entrances to Hamilton Hall while reporting on the protests.

“At the end of the day,it's still a student-fueledmovement. It wouldn’t have gotten to (this) extent without the of the student organizations here.”

Du said students received a text message and email alert from the school stating that a shelter-in-place order had been issued, asking them to remain in their dorms and not to go on campus.

"But all of us knewthat that was sort of a signalthat the NYPD was going to raidcampus," he added.

1:08 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Video shows Arizona State University police officer removing protester’s hijab during arrest

From CNN’s Cindy Von Quednow

April 30, 2024 - US university protests (2)

Video taken over the weekend at Arizona State University shows acampuspolice officer removing a hijab from a protester’s head during her arrest.

The blurred video, obtained byMass Liberation AZ and provided to CNN by attorney Zayed Al-Sayyed,who represents the women, shows severalASU Police Departmentofficers surrounding a woman whose hands are held behind her back as one of the officers removes her hijab.

People nearby can be heard yelling, “You’re violating her privacy,” and “Give it back.”

The officers then pull the woman’s sweatshirt hood over her head and a bystander yells, “So she can wear a hood but not her hijab?” At one point one of the officers blocks the woman from the view of those taking the video, as a person yells, “let her go!”

A lawyer representing her and three other women who said it also happened to them is demanding accountability.

Al-Sayyed, who said the arrests took place early Saturday, did not identify the women but indicated that three of them are students at the university and all four are Phoenix-area residents. They are facing criminal trespass charges.

Upon being taken into custody, Al-Sayyed said, the women explained the significance of a hijab and “begged” to keep their hijabs, but he said they were told that their hijabs had to be removed for safety reasons.

“They never expected that an officer … who’s sworn to protect and serve is going to violate their most basic protected right under the United States Constitution, which is the right to practice their religion. So they're hurt,” Al-Sayyed said.

After being detained and bused to jail, the women were not given their hijabs back, Al-Sayyed said.

Around 15 hours later, when he was finally given access to his clients, Al-Sayyed said he was able to bring them new hijabs.

The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ),condemnedthe university police for the recorded incident and others like it and called for a full investigation.

“This act represents a blatant infringement upon the religious liberties of peaceful protesters. It is profoundly distressing for the affected women, and ASU Police must conduct a thorough investigation into this matter,” Azza Abuseif, executive director of CAIR-AZ, said in an email to CNN.

In a statement to CNN, the university said, “This matter is under review.”CNN has reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for comment.

11:41 p.m. ET, April 30, 2024

Protests will continue despite police presence at Columbia, student negotiator says

From CNN's Kathleen Magramo

A lead student negotiator for protesters at Columbia University has told CNN that protests will continue on the campus despite the school's request for a police presence.

The university has asked NYPD to maintain its presence on campus until May 17.

"I’m very confident that students will continue this movement even after all this brutality against them," negotiator Mahmoud Khalil said, adding that students still have the right to protest despite increased security.

Since negotiations between student protesters and the Columbia University administration began two weeks ago, the university has not viewed them as an anti-war movement, he said.

"Instead, they dealt with it as an internal student discipline matter. They negotiated with us about bringing food and blankets to the encampment. They refused to acknowledge that this actually is more than that, this is a nationwide movement.

"This is a movement that asks Columbia to divest its investments from the companies that are fuelling the war in Gaza right now,” said Khalil, who is a second-year graduate student at Columbia.

Tensions escalated on campus when officers entered Columbia's Hamilton Hall, which had been occupied by protesterssince the early hours of Tuesday, and dozens were seen being arrested.

Khalil said that "the autonomous group decided to take that building when they felt the university is not answering their demands" and was "alienating" them.

12:34 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Police presence at Columbia may dampen graduation celebrations, CNN journalist and student says

From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe

April 30, 2024 - US university protests (3)

Julia Vargas Jones, a CNN journalist and Columbia Journalism School graduate student, said the university's request for an on-campus police presence through May 17 will only "dampen the mood even more" as students and their families prepare for graduation.

NYPD swarmed the university Tuesday night after the university authorized them to go into the campus to clear out a building being occupied by protesters. CNN has witnessed dozens of arrests.

"Graduation is May 15. That is my graduation as well. I have family coming from Brazil to come watch me walk across the stage and get my diploma. I hope of course, as everyone does, that this (graduation) can happen," Jones said.

"But at the same time, is there a climate for celebration, for graduation?" Jones said.

Jones said she's unsure the climate on campus will be celebratory as graduation nears.

"I spoke to a lot of students on campus today and students were just feeling caught in between. I don't really see celebration being something we flock to in the coming weeks," she said. "I'm interested to see who will actually attend graduation."

Jones said she has not witnessed any violent altercations as she reported from inside Columbia’s campus Tuesday night.After the campus was cleared by NYPD, Jones described the atmosphere as quiet enough to “hear a pin drop.”

12:34 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

NYPD used flash bangs to breach Columbia building where doors were barricaded

From CNN’s Matthew Friedman and Miguel Marquez

NYPD officers used flash-bang grenades to breach Columbia's Hamilton Hall, which protesters had barricaded themselves inside Tuesday, the police department told CNN.

The building's doors had been barricaded with chairs, tables and vending machines, and windows had been covered with newspaper, the NYPD said.

When a flash-bang grenade is deployed, it emits a bright flash and a very loud bang, often used to shock and disorient.

Video posted by NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry shows officers searching a bookshelf-lined office after busting the door's lock with a hammer.

Another video shows officers packing a stairwell and passing chairs to one another.

At least 50 officers had earlier used an elevated ramp to climb into the building through a window.

12:34 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Columbia University property has been cleared, NYPD says

From CNN’s Matthew Friedman and Miguel Marquez at Columbia

Columbia University’s property has been cleared, the New York Police Department told CNN, less than two hours after officers entered the school’s campus in Morningside Heights.

Hamilton Hall has also been cleared, the NYPD says, and nobody was wounded during the operation.

The NYPD is still monitoring different locations for protesters across the city, they said.

12:34 a.m. ET, May 1, 2024

Photos show NYPD action at Columbia University

From CNN Digital’s Photo Team

The New York Police Department entered the Columbia University campus late Tuesday evening after receiving a letter from the university authorizing them to go into the campus, a law enforcement source familiar with the situation told CNN.

Officers entered Hamilton Hall, which had been occupied by protesterssince the early morning hours Tuesday.

Dozens of people have been arrested.

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April 30, 2024 - US university protests (2024)

FAQs

Why are they protesting at colleges? ›

Over the last few weeks, students on campuses across the country have built encampments, occupied buildings and led protests to call on colleges and universities to divest their endowments from companies profiting from the Israel-Hamas war.

Why are American students protesting? ›

What are the protests about? The message from the students in encampments has been simple: they want their universities to stop doing business with Israel - or any companies that support its ongoing war in Gaza.

What happened at Kent State University? ›

Fifty-four years ago, four students were shot by the National Guard during an anti-Vietnam War protest at Kent State university in Ohio – a tragedy that still resonates today. As these BBC Archive clips show, the events symbolised political and cultural divides across the US at the time.

Why are students protesting at Columbia? ›

Part of the protesters' demands called for more transparency of Columbia's investment portfolio to be able to fully assess the university's ties to Israel and the war in Gaza. Less than 1% of the school's $13.6 billion endowment is publicly disclosed.

What amendment will allow them to protest on their college campus? ›

Can I protest on Campus? Yes, public universities are government entities that are bound by the Constitution, therefore students on public campuses have free speech rights protected by the First Amendment.

Why shouldn't students be forced to go to college? ›

Kantrowitz continues, “College dropouts have the debt, but not the degree that can help them repay the debt.” Translation: Forcing your child to go to college could result in worse outcomes than if they pursued an alternative like work-based learning, skilled trade professions, or the Military.

What American policy ultimately led to widespread protests by college students? ›

The Vietnam War that began in 1955 and saw an increased presence of US troops a decade later prompted widespread protests across American college campuses by the mid-1960s.

Why America is losing international students? ›

Inside Higher Ed reasons that border closings, flight cancelations, or shifts in visa policies are likely at fault. The past two academic years, 2021-22 and 2022-23, have seen a rebound from the pandemic. International students in the U.S. increased by four and nine percent, respectively.

Why are protests erupting at Uwindsor and other institutions in Canada and the US? ›

Students protesting have said they want the school to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions and disclose and end investments going to businesses that support the Israeli government.

What is Kent State University famous for? ›

Academic Excellence

Kent State University is ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report. With 11 colleges boasting more than 370 undergraduate programs of study, our students learn by doing – through engaged classroom instruction and hands-on, real-world experience.

What NFL player went to Kent State University? ›

All Players
PosPlayerNFL Draft (tm/rnd/yr)
WRJulian EdelmanNew England Patriots / 7th / 232nd pick / 2009
DBAbram Elam
WRTodd Feldman
TEAntonio Gates
39 more rows

Why were students protesting at Kent State University? ›

Across the Commons at the burned-out ROTC building stood about 100 Ohio National Guardsmen carrying lethal M-1 military rifles. Substantial consensus exists that the active participants in the rally were primarily protesting the presence of the Guard on campus, although a strong anti-war sentiment was also present.

Why are students protesting Israel? ›

Why: The students are protesting the war's death toll and are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel's military efforts in Gaza. On campus: As students around the country protest, student journalists are covering their peers in a moment of uncertainty.

Why are college students protesting for Palestine? ›

Since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, students at scores of colleges and universities across the United States and in other countries have protested in support of Palestinians and called for their schools to divest from Israel.

What happened at Columbia University? ›

More than 100 protesters were arrested -- yet few injuries reported -- when NYPD officers in riot gear descended on Columbia University late Tuesday, using tactical strategies to clear the occupied Hamilton Hall and lawn encampment at the request of the college, as anti-war demonstrations at U.S. campuses reached an ...

What do students protest about? ›

Student activism has been prominent on college campuses across the U.S. for generations, from the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War decades ago to more recent protests surrounding Black Lives Matter, the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the latest war between Israel and Hamas.

What are the benefits of student protesting? ›

It is through advocacy and activism that students develop communication, relationship building, connections, and critical thinking skills.

Why do colleges dismiss students? ›

A student may be dismissed from college for academic reasons, disciplinary reasons, or lack of aptness for ministry.

What is the meaning of student protest? ›

Such protests encompass a wide range of activities that indicate student dissatisfaction with a given political or academics issue and mobilization to communicate this dissatisfaction to the authorities (university or civil or both) and society in general and hopefully remedy the problem.

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