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
Columbia authorizes NYPD to move onto campus
New York City has received authorization from Columbia University to send the NYPD onto campus, a senior city official told ABC News.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
USC President condemns swastika drawn on campus
University of Southern California President Carol Folt released a statement Tuesday after being alerted to an alleged swastika drawn on the USC campus.
"I've just been made aware of a swastika drawn on our campus," Folt said in an update on X Tuesday afternoon.
"I condemn any antisemitic symbols or any form of hate speech against anyone. Clearly it was drawn there to incite even more anger at a time that is so painful for our community," Folt continued.
Folt said the university is investigating and that the swastika has been removed.
Columbia University students told to shelter in place amid ongoing protest
Columbia University students were told to shelter in place Tuesday evening due to "heightened activity" on the Morningside campus.
"Shelter in place for your safety due to heightened activity on the Morningside campus," the university’s emergency management operations team said in an alert Tuesday.
Officials warned that "Non-compliance may result in disciplinary action" and that students should "avoid the area until further notice."
City College of New York shifting remote amid protests
The City College of New York said it will hold classes remotely starting on Wednesday until further notice due to "current encampment activities" on the Manhattan campus.
Campus buildings will be closed except to essential personnel, the university said.
The announcement comes nearly a week after the university, which is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, said a group of demonstrators calling themselves the "CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment" set up a tent encampment on the campus' quad.
"The demonstrators appear to be made up of students, faculty and staff from City College and across the CUNY system and a sizable contingent that is not affiliated with any CUNY campus," City College President Vince Boudreau said in a letter to the community earlier this week, noting that school leaders had begun discussions with representatives from the group.
"We are working to minimize risks to people within the encampment and to protect all members of our campus community, while also minimizing the encampment's impact on campus operations," Boudreau said.
New York University, New School explain decision to remove, arrest students
New York University and New School, in separate statements, said they requested police move students from their campuses after multiple rounds of negotiations failed.
NYU said the "encampment had become increasingly untenable for the NYU community and the neighborhood we inhabit." Classes will proceed as normal today.
NYU said it is aware of calls for a 4 p.m. protest at the former site of the encampment.
The New School, which switched to remote learning Friday, said students continued to set up in the lobby of the University Center building and block access to the "residence hall, classrooms, library, and cafeteria."
Despite the university "pleading to allow their fellow students to enter their residence hall, the protesters would not budge."
The New School said the protests continued even after they "provided a confirmed date this month for the Investment Committee to consider a vote on disinvestment."
"It is a sad day for all of us who are part of this university community and who believe in free speech, which we have pledged to protect and will continue to protect," The New School said in a statement.