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
Video shows several people being detained by police at Emory University
Videos show several people being detained by police at Emory University in Atlanta on Thursday.
Student groups say they launched an encampment for Gaza at 7:30 a.m., demanding a "total divestment from Israeli apartheid and cop city," in a post on Instagram. The group said the encampment is "open to everyone."
The Emory Police Department contacted Atlanta police and Georgia State Patrol for assistance, according to Emory.
"Several dozen protesters trespassed into Emory University’s campus early Thursday morning and set up tents on the Quad. These individuals are not members of our community. They are activists attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals," Emory University said in a statement to ABC News.
"Emory does not tolerate vandalism or other criminal activity on campus," Emory said.
-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab and Kerem Inal
Northwestern University students set up pro-Palestinian encampment
Students at Northwestern University began setting up an encampment on campus grounds Thursday morning, joining the growing list of students across the country demanding their schools divest from Israel and companies that support its campaign on Gaza.
Northwestern says setting up a tent encampment is "prohibited" under university policies and campus police are at the encampment, working to have the tents removed.
"Students who refuse to remove their tents will be subject to arrest and their tents will be removed by the University. Community members who do not adhere to University policies will face discipline," Northwestern University told ABC News in a statement.
"Northwestern is committed to the principles of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – and to protecting the safety of all members of our community, as well as limiting disruptions to University operations," Northwestern said.
The Northwestern University Divestment Coalition, a student group, says protesters are refusing to leave their encampment.
Videos and posts posted by other student groups on Instagram show police responding to the scene, warning students that they will begin issuing citations and arrests if they do not leave.
-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab
Princeton students begin encampment on campus
Princeton University students began a Gaza solidarity encampment on Thursday, demanding the university divest from Israel and that Israel end its campaign on Gaza.
The students are also calling for an academic boycott of Israel and Israeli universities -- including ending study abroad programs with Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, students said in a statement.
"Princeton students stand in solidarity with Columbia University's Gaza Solidarity Encampment, launched on April 17. They strongly condemn the decisions of Columbia University, Yale University, New York University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Cal Poly Humboldt's administrations to employ militarized police against their own students and demand the immediate release of all arrested students, the immediate dropping of all charges, and the immediate revocation of suspensions and evictions," students said in a statement.
"Despite the systematic repression of pro-Palestinian voices, students will continue to stand their ground," students said.
108 protesters arrested, 4 police officers injured as Emerson encampment cleared
More than 100 people were arrested and four police officers were injured early Thursday when Boston police moved to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment at Emerson College. It is one of several set up by students at Massachusetts colleges including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
Three of the officers suffered minor injuries and a fourth officer suffered more serious injuries, according to Boston police.
None of the protesters in custody have reported injuries, according to police. The protesters will be arraigned at Boston Municipal Court.
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