In the United States, students have been gathering on campuses to protest the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and demand action from President Joe Biden to stop the violence. More than 2,000 students have been arrested at universities across the country for their actions.
At the University of Virginia, tensions rose as police arrested at least 25 student protesters and cleared a sit-in camp. The university stated that the protesters violated policies by setting up tents and using loudspeakers. In response, university President Jim Ryan mentioned concerns about outside individuals joining the protests on campus.
Similar protests and confrontations occurred at other universities, but not all resulted in arrests. In Ann Arbor, students boycotted the beginning of the University of Michigan’s graduation ceremony to show solidarity with Palestinians. While this caused some disruption, campus police ultimately did not make any arrests.
The conflict surrounding the Israeli war in Gaza has led to varying viewpoints and acts of violence at American universities over the past few weeks. Several universities, including Columbia University, have called in police to control protests. This has prompted some universities, like the University of Michigan, to change their security protocols for graduation ceremonies. Peaceful protests have been a longstanding tradition at these events, with the university supporting freedom of expression.