College protests updates: Police begin dismantling University of Chicago encampment
Police entered the campus encampment early Tuesday, WLS reported.
Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.
Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.
The student protests -- some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments -- have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests.
Latest headlines:
- Over 300 Harvard professors sign letter urging Harvard to negotiate with protesters
- Police begin dismantling encampment at University of Chicago
- MIT students ordered to leave campus encampment
- More than 60 arrests made at UC San Diego
- Harvard president threatens 'involuntary leave' for students who continue encampment
USC campus reopens after tent encampment dismantled
The University of Southern California's University Park campus has reopened Sunday after a pro-Palestinian tent encampment was cleared out and dismantled, the university said.
All students, faculty and staff must present valid identification, USC said.
New York City mayor defends NYPD's handling of college protests
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday defended the police crackdown on college campus protests that have broken out in America's largest city.
"When those protests reach the point of violence, we have to ensure that we use a minimum amount of force to terminate what is perceived to be a threat," " Adams told ABC News "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Adams added that the police intervention resulted from days of communication between the police and school officials.
"We knew we had to get permission unless there's imminent threat to life, or severe threat to property," he said, adding, "We were not going to overstep our legal authority."
When pressed by Karl about criticism, including from some other Democrats, that the response to protesters was disproportionate given that they were largely nonviolent, Adams said, "One has the right to have his or her opinion, and I respect that. ... And I have an obligation and responsibility to ensure the city is safe."
-ABC News' Kristina Abovyan
No arrests made in clearing of USC protest encampment: Official
A pro-Palestinian tent encampment on the University of Southern California campus was cleared out and dismantled Sunday morning without any arrests being made, university officials said.
Joel Curran, a spokesperson for USC, said in a statement that the encampment, established by protesters 12 days ago, was "peacefully" taken down.
“Earlier today, the University of Southern California Department of Public Safety (DPS) successfully removed the illegal encampment rebuilt on the university’s campus. It was necessary to request the Los Angeles Police Department to respond to provide security as this was carried out peacefully," Curran said. "No arrests have been reported. We want to thank LAPD for assisting DPS in clearing the encampment and restoring normalcy for students and community as quickly and safely as possible. We will share more information with our community later today.”
-ABC News' Tristan Maglunog
USC says encampment has been cleared
The University of Southern California said the encampment at University Park Campus has been cleared and the campus remains closed.
Columbia will not hold campuswide commencement
Columbia University announced Monday it will not hold a campuswide commencement ceremony on May 15 as originally scheduled.
Columbia will focus on the smaller, school-based ceremonies instead based on "input and feedback from student leaders," the school said.
"Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families," the school said in a statement. "They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their school’s invited guest speakers."
The smaller school ceremonies will begin on Friday. Columbia said it may hold "a festive event" on May 15 instead. Security concerns were among the reasons the larger ceremony was canceled.
One of the reasons Columbia said it had called in the New York Police Department last Tuesday was in order to make room for the schoolwide ceremony in the same location as the encampment.