College protests updates: Police crackdown leads to hundreds of arrests
Hundreds were arrested at USC, Emerson and UT Austin in the last day.
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:
- Arizona State University arrests 69 people, clears pro-Palestinian encampment
- Northeastern University detains 100 protesters, removes encampment
- NYU students set up new encampment days after over 130 students, faculty arrested
- Students arrested, charged with trespass at Ohio State University
- DPS says they used a Taser, pepper balls at Emory, but not tear gas
Person tased by police at Emory protest not affiliated with school: Administrator
Cheryl Elliott, Emory University's vice president for public safety, provided an update to the school community on the incident that took place between police and pro-Palestinian protesters.
Elliot addressed the viral video of officers using a stun gun on one of the protesters when the encampment was dispersed and said the person in the video did not appear to be affiliated with Emory.
"Based on current information, this individual is not a member of the Emory community," Elliot said.
Elliot said, "Due to the direct assault of officers, law enforcement released chemical irritants into the ground to assist with crowd control."
Twenty-eight people were arrested during the incident, 20 of whom were affiliated with the university, according to Elliot.
"We are working with responding agencies to expedite the release of any Emory community members who remain in custody," she said in her letter to the Emory community.
-ABC News' Cherise Rudy
Columbia University enhancing security due to planned protests
Columbia University said it is enhancing security along the campus' perimeter after it was made aware of several "potentially significant" protests planned outside the gates of its Manhattan campus Thursday evening.
The New York City Police Department is adding officers "to maintain safety" and people are being asked to avoid the area, the university said in a message to the school community. The protests are expected to start around 6 p.m. ET., it said.
The campus remains restricted to Columbia University ID holders.
The university is in formal discussions with student protesters regarding dismantling an encampment on campus, a university spokesperson said.
UT demonstrators arrested Wednesday won't face charges at this time
Demonstrators who were arrested Wednesday at the University of Texas will not be facing charges at this time and have been ordered released due to deficiencies in probable cause, according to the Travis County Attorney’s Office.
Fifty-five people were arrested -- 26 of whom were unaffiliated with UT Austin -- the university said Thursday.
"This outside group presence is what we've seen from the affiliated national organization's efforts to disrupt and create disorder," the university said in a statement.
The attorney's office said it received several cases Wednesday after the demonstration at UT Austin.
"Legal concerns were raised by defense counsel. We individually reviewed each case that was presented and agreed there were deficiencies in the probable cause affidavits. The Court affirmed and ordered the release of those individuals. We will continue to individually review all cases presented to our office to determine whether prosecution is factually and legally appropriate," the Travis County Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Northeastern says it will 'take action' against demonstrators
Northeastern University in Boston said it will "take action accordingly" against pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating on its Centennial Quad on Thursday.
"The quads on Northeastern's Boston campus are reserved by the division of Student Life for scheduled university events," a university spokesperson said in a statement. "Students currently demonstrating on Centennial Quad do not have authorization and are in violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Those who are not affiliated with Northeastern are trespassing. The university will take action accordingly."
NYU students set up new encampment days after over 130 students, faculty arrested
New York University students set up a new pro-Palestinian encampment Friday, after over 130 students and faculty were arrested at an encampment earlier this week.
The protesters are calling on the university to divest and cut ties with Israel and companies profit from its onslaught on Gaza — including shutting down the NYU Tel Aviv campus and a boycott of Tel Aviv University. They are also calling for full amnesty for pro-Palestinian activism and for IOF-trained cops to leave campus.
"Despite the violent repression students have face, we will not back down. We have no reason to fear when Palestinians demonstrate their courage and resiliency in the face of far greater danger. Our fear has turned into resolve," the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition said in a statement Saturday.
Protesters say they were removed and arrests were made at a "100% peaceful" protest earlier this week, refuting the university's allegation that there was "antagonizing behavior" and a security breach caused it to invite New York police onto campus and make arrests, a representative for the NYU PSC told ABC News.
Protesters say they calmly entered the encampment after the university did not follow through on providing a timeline of when they would allow more students into the plaza, according to the student who was at the protest outside the encampment, but was not arrested.
Police started making arrests Monday after Muslim protesters began Maghreb prayer -- a daily Muslim prayer made during the sunset hour -- according to the student.
"Our peaceful protest was met with complete and utter violence green lighted by our university president and her administration," the student, who asked that ABC News conceal their identity for safety, said.
The university pushed back against the protester's account, saying "there is no right to create encampments of tents on the University's property."
"Despite repeatedly being told no additional protesters would be permitted on the plaza - early on Monday afternoon protesters on West 4th Street breached the barricades we had set up, nearly doubling the number of people on the plaza, with hundreds of additional demonstrators in the street," NYU said in a statement to ABC News.
"Those on the plaza urged them onwards and that Campus Safety Officers were shoved and forced out of the way by people attempting to gain entry to the plaza," NYU said.
-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab