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
UCLA announces remote classes through the end of the week
UCLA's public safety department said in an alert Wednesday night that all on campus classes were "required to pivot to remote" through the end of the week.
The announcement comes after overnight protests turned violent, injuring 15 and sending one person to the hospital, university officials previously confirmed.
Campus operations will be limited on Thursday and Friday, the public safety department said in its evening update.
"We have a large law enforcement presence stationed throughout campus to help promote safety," the department said. "Student Affairs will have essential staff on campus to support our students."
UCLA police declare encampment is an 'unlawful gathering,' order demonstrators to leave
Police at UCLA have announced to the gathered crowd that the encampment on campus is an "unlawful gathering."
Demonstrators have been ordered to leave by the LAPD, according to KABC 7.
UCLA is broadcasting a message of its own, telling protesters to disperse. The message, which appears to be recorded, says those who don't leave will be subject to administrative action.
'This is just the beginning': Columbia and CUNY students vow to keep 'fighting'
During a press conference on Wednesday evening, student protestors from Columbia University and City University of New York responded to the intervention of the NYPD to dismantle encampments and suspend and arrest hundreds of protesters across both universities last night and today.
"We will not stop fighting. This is just the beginning," Cameron Jones of Columbia’s Justice for Palestine chapter said.
Corinna Mullin, a member of CUNY faculty, joined the press conference and called the students "brave" and said that the administration actions against its own students was "shameful."
The students from Columbia and CUNY vowed to continue their efforts, saying, "The more they will try to silence us, the louder we will be."
-ABC News' Camilla Alcini
NYPD arrests 15 people for misdemeanor trespassing at Fordham University
After authorizing NYPD officers to move on the Fordham University to clear an "unlawful encampment" in a campus building on Wednesday, the institution said 15 individuals were arrested for misdemeanor trespassing.
In a statement Wednesday evening, Fordham University said several dozens of people pushed inside the lobby of the Lowenstein building and set up tents.
Most individuals left the encampment after "threats of conduct sanctions" but the remaining 15 people were arrested, according to the statement, which notes, "We believe some of those were Fordham students."
"We met with student leaders as recently as yesterday, readily agreeing to allow them to present their case about divestment and transparency to trustees and our chief investment officer," the university said, adding, "We remain committed to that process."
White House: 'We don't want to see anybody hurt in the process'
The White House said Sunday that President Joe Biden respects the right of demonstrators to make their voices heard -- peacefully -- and "we don't want to see anybody hurt in the process."
"The president knows that there are very strong feelings about the war in Gaza. He understands that, he respects that, and as he has said many times, we certainly respect the right of peaceful protest. People should have the ability to air their views and to share their perspectives publicly, but it has to be peaceful," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC News "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
Kirby did warn that some language heard during the demonstrations crossed a line with the administration.
"We absolutely condemn the antisemitism language that we've heard of late, and we certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there. These protests, we understand they're important, but they do need to be peaceful," he said.
"We'll leave it to local authorities to determine how these protests are managed," Kirby told Stephanopoulos, "but we want them to be peaceful protests and obviously we don't want to see anybody hurt in the process of peacefully protesting."
-ABC News' Tal Axelrod