Police surrounded a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday, ahead of commencement events scheduled to begin on the Los Angeles campus. Campus safety officers, assisted by the Los Angeles Police Department, were in the process of clearing the area. The university issued a warning on social media, urging individuals in the center of campus to vacate, with the possibility of facing arrest for non-compliance.
Protesters within the encampment were vocal in their chants of 'Free Palestine.' According to student-led campus publication Annenberg Media, protesters were given a 15-minute window to disperse before potential arrests.
The encampment had been reestablished following the initial arrest of 93 individuals on April 24. Despite the recent tensions, the atmosphere on the private university campus had largely remained calm, with attention shifting to arrests at the University of California, Los Angeles.
At the University of Virginia, 25 people were arrested for trespassing on Saturday after clashes between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators who refused to remove tents from campus grounds. Similar protests were reported at the University of Michigan, where anti-war messages were chanted and flags waved during commencement ceremonies.
Student protests at USC have centered around the war in Gaza and the university's decision to cancel a commencement speech by a valedictorian who expressed support for Palestinians. The cancellation, made in mid-April due to safety concerns following threats, drew criticism from some Jewish groups.
As a result of ongoing tensions, USC administrators decided to cancel the main-stage commencement planned for May 10, with other graduation activities still scheduled from Thursday through Sunday. Access to the private campus has been restricted to non-affiliated individuals since late April.
Protests at various universities, including Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, and Princeton, have marked a period of heightened activism surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Demonstrations have led to arrests and clashes with law enforcement, with encampments being dismantled by police in several instances.
These protests reflect a broader student movement calling for universities to sever ties with entities supporting the Gaza conflict. The Associated Press has documented numerous incidents of arrests at protests on campuses nationwide since mid-April, with thousands of individuals detained.
As colleges brace for potential disruptions during commencement ceremonies, schools like Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, and Northeastern University have implemented measures to address potential protests. At the University of Michigan, demonstrators staged a protest during commencement, advocating for divestment from Israel and displaying contrasting messages related to the conflict.
While protests have been a longstanding tradition at U-M commencement ceremonies, recent events have highlighted the growing activism on campuses nationwide. Princeton students engaged in a hunger strike to push for divestment from companies linked to Israel, with similar actions reported at other universities.
The protests stem from the conflict initiated by Hamas militants in October, resulting in a significant loss of life and ongoing hostilities between Israel and Gaza. The demonstrations underscore the deep divisions and impassioned responses to the conflict within university communities across the United States.
