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.


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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.


USC updates community on protest, campus shutdown

Andrew T. Guzman, the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Southern California, sent a letter to the school's students, faculty and other members with an update on the situation taking place on campus.

Guzman reiterated the university "values freedom of expression and protects the right of every member of our community to express themselves," but added, "We have well-established policies regarding limits on the time, place, and manner of free expression."

Guzman said the call to shut down the campus stemmed from a confrontation between protesters outside the Doheny Library and security. Security members asked the protesters, many of whom Guzman said weren't affiliated with USC, to leave and remove tents they set up, but the protesters refused, according to the school.

"Their actions have escalated to the point of confrontation and have threatened the safety of our officers and campus community," Guzman said.

Until further notice, only people with "USC identification or verifiable business purpose will be able to access campus, attend classes, and participate in activities" will be allowed on campus, according to Guzman.

"In these challenging times, we call on the Trojan Family to remember that every member of our community is deserving of respect, has the right to be safe on campus, take classes, and participate in other campus activities without fear of harassment or bullying. It should be everyone’s priority to treat each other with kindness and care," he said.

-ABC News' Jenna Harrison