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.


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Why LAPD did not intervene in violent UCLA protests sooner: Sources

The LAPD and California Highway Patrol are facing backlash over not intervening in the UCLA protests sooner, as violence broke out overnight, however, law enforcement sources told ABC News the hesitancy came from jurisdiction over the campus.

The LAPD and CHP don’t have jurisdiction over UCLA and cannot unilaterally race in because UCLA has its own full-fledged police department and dispatch center, sources said.

The delay, as described by sources, was due to UCLA and its police department not authorizing a response.

UCLA’s limited police force was overwhelmed and tried to deal with the protest internally, according to sources, until the call to the LAPD and CHP was eventually made.

The protests led to 15 injuries, including one hospitalization, according to officials.

-ABC News' Alex Stone


'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


Fordham requests NYPD disperse encampment in campus building

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said Fordham University requested NYPD assistance in clearing an "unlawful encampment of individuals inside one of their buildings," in a statement posted to X on Wednesday.

Daughtry said individuals who refused to disperse from the encampment were placed inside a building at Fordham under arrest.


Los Angeles mayor condemns 'absolutely detestable violence' at UCLA protest

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the protests that turned violent overnight at UCLA in a statement Wednesday, saying she met with Los Angeles police, sheriffs and other agencies.

"This morning, I met in person with LAPD, LASD, CHP, CalOES, UCPD and other regional agencies at the UCLA incident command post about the absolutely detestable violence on campus last night," Bass said.

Bass warned that any demonstrator involved in "launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals and physically assaulting others will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness."

The mayor noted that she's spoken to California Governor Gavin Newsom and thanked him for "his continued support."


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