Pro-Palestinian protests continued on college campuses in Northern California and across the nation Sunday despite administrators’ attempts to restore order.
While police swept demonstrations at Cal Poly Humboldt and Stanford University, no new arrests were reported as of Sunday. That was not the case elsewhere: Hundreds of arrests unfolded at other protests nationwide Saturday.
The protests — many of them tent encampments — began last week, sparked by a demonstration at New York City’s Columbia University in opposition to Israel’s missile strikes on Gaza in response to Hamas militants’ October attack. The university said Saturday that students and administrators were engaged in negotiations.
At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where protesters vandalized property Saturday, students declined to meet with President Carol Folt, and the administration hoped for a “more reasonable response Sunday before we are forced to take further action,” said Joel Curran, senior vice president of communications.
The university drew criticism after refusing to allow the valedictorian, who has publicly supported the Palestinian cause, to make a commencement speech. The university then canceled its main graduation event — an announcement that came Thursday, a day after police in riot gear arrested more than 90 protesters.
On Saturday, police took action at demonstrations at Washington University in St. Louis, Northeastern University in Boston, Arizona State University in Tempe and Indiana University Bloomington, arresting more than 270 protesters in all.
In Northern California, protesters were undeterred by the risk of arrests and discipline.
At Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, administrators closed the campus Friday for the rest of the school year after pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied an academic and administrative building. The university gave students until 5 p.m. Friday to leave or face arrest or discipline, but students stayed. More than a dozen police officers assembled on campus Saturday but later dispersed.
Police arrested three students last week after a “confrontation with law enforcement both inside and outside the building,” a campus statement said.
Protesters also remained at Stanford University, where administrators asked students to clear out of a grassy area outside the student union by 8 p.m. Friday. The demonstration continued as Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies swept through the encampment of about 20 tents Saturday morning.
At UC Berkeley, protesters have also camped out on the steps of Sproul Hall, the administration building. The students have pledged to remain until the university divests from companies doing business in Israel and establishes a Palestinian studies program.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
