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.
University of Texas at Austin says it took action to 'preserve a safe, conducive learning environment' for students
After police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin following a dispersal order, leading to some arrests on Monday, the school issued a statement, saying it "took swift action to preserve a safe, conducive learning environment for our 53,000 students as they prepare for final exams."
"UT Austin requested backup assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety to protect the safety of the campus community and enforce our Institutional Rules, such as the rule that prohibits encampments on campus. Because of the encampments and other violations of the University’s Institutional Rules related to protests, protestors were told repeatedly to disperse. When they refused to disperse, some arrests were made for trespassing. Others were arrested for disorderly conduct," the university's statement read.
UTA said protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have happened "largely without incident."
"The University strongly supports the free speech and assembly rights of our community and we want students and others on campus to know that protests on campus are fully permissible, provided that they do not violate Institutional Rules or threaten the safety of our campus community," the statement concluded.
-ABC News' Marilyn Heck