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
NYPD officers have entered Hamilton Hall through second-floor window
New York Police Department officers have entered Hamilton Hall through the second-floor window.
NYPD moves in at Columbia, begins making arrests
New York Police Department officers have moved onto the Columbia University campus and have begun making arrests.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
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.
'These were not peaceful protesters': Columbia official addresses 202 arrests
In a press briefing Wednesday, Ben Chang, a Columbia University spokesperson, addressed the over 200 arrests made Tuesday evening, stemming from the ongoing protests.
The NYPD confirmed that the arrests from last night numbered 202, with 109 being from Columbia University.
"These were not peaceful protesters," Chang said. "I surveyed the damage myself, and as the president has indicated, severe damage was inflicted on that building."
In response to the disruptions, Chang said the university leadership, backed by the trustees, decided to call in the NYPD to help restore order.
Academic activities at Columbia will continue remotely for the remainder of the semester, according to Chang, who noted, the university is making adjustments to ensure that final exams and assessments proceed smoothly.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack