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
Education secretary says campus unrest is 'unacceptable'
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona condemned what he deemed the "unacceptable" behavior of protesters on college campuses across the country.
"I think what's happening on our campuses is abhorrent," Cardona told Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., at the Senate's budget requests hearing for fiscal year 2025 on Tuesday. "It's unacceptable and we're committed as a Department of Education to adhering to Title VI enforcement."
The secretary said the department could reduce federal funds for schools that violate Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.
Pressed on whether the department was acting to eliminate antisemitism from college campuses amid the growing unrest, particularly at Columbia University, Cardona said the department is reviewing 137 discrimination investigations at Columbia.
He maintained campus safety is of "utmost importance."
"I wouldn't want to send my child to campus if I feel that they're not safe," he said. "That's the most important thing to me -- to make sure that our kids are safe on campus."
-ABC News' Arthur Jones II
79 people arrested at UT Austin
Police arrested 79 people at the University of Texas at Austin, Monday and the Travis County Prosecutor's Office has now received 65 cases for criminal trespassing.
"An initial review of the probable cause affidavits does not appear to show deficiencies," Travis County Attorney Delia Garza told reporters Tuesday.
Last week, trespassing charges against protesters were dismissed because they did not show probable cause.
Garza criticized the arrests and charges brought against peaceful protesters and said it is putting a strain on the state's criminal justice system and police response.
"I'm also deeply concerned about how matters will escalate when people believe they are being prevented from exercising their right to participate in nonviolent protest," Garza said.
Brown University reaches agreement to end encampment, agrees to divestment sit-down
Brown University said it has reached an agreement with pro-Palestinian student protesters to end their encampment, which began on April 24.
"After productive discussions between members of the Brown University administration and student leaders of the Brown Divest Coalition, we have reached an agreement that will end the encampment by 5 p.m. today," Brown President Christina Paxson said in a statement.
Five students have been invited to meet with five members of the Corporation of Brown University to make their arguments to divest Brown's endowment from "companies enabling and profiting from the genocide in Gaza."
Paxson will also ask the Advisory Committee on University Resource Management to provide a recommendation on divestment by Sept. 30, which the corporation will vote on in October.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni will not face retaliation for being involved in the encampment, according to the agreement, and no registered student organizations will loose their recognition.
While Brown said it will continue to follow its conduct process for individual students who were involved in any activities related to the encampment or support of the encampment, the university said ending the encampment will be viewed favorably in disciplinary proceedings. Reports of bias, harassment or discrimination will continue to be investigated.
-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab
Columbia protesters say school 'isolating' them with no access to food, water, bathrooms
Columbia University's Students for Justice in Palestine hit back at the university saying its decision to limit campus access to students living in on-campus dorms means protesters will not have access to food, water or bathrooms without swiping in.
Protesters are calling for students to join them for a rally at the occupied building they have renamed Hind's Hall at 2 p.m.
Dozens of arrests made at Virginia Tech
Police cleared out an encampment at Virginia Tech late Sunday after protesters had set up tents on the lawn of the campus' Graduate Life Center.
"Those who gathered were advised by university officials to remove their possessions and to disperse voluntarily; those who failed to comply were then approached by Virginia Tech Police and were again asked to leave and advised that anyone who failed to comply would be charged with trespassing, in accordance with Virginia law," the school said in a statement.
The university added, "At approximately 10:15 p.m., police approached protesters to ask them to disperse within five minutes. Those who remained were subject to arrest."
Dozens of protesters were taken into custody, according to Lynchburg, Virginia, ABC affiliate WSET.