Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country over the war in Gaza, with some turning violent and leading to arrests.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling on their respective universities to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, with some demonstrations also being conducted at Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more.
At UCLA, counter-protesters clashed with Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, leading to arrests by police.
“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” vice chancellor Mary Osaka said in a statement.
At the University of Arizona, campus police shot “chemical irritant” at protestors early Wednesday morning. University president Robert Robbins said he has asked the campus police as well as school officials to “immediately enforce campus use policies and all corresponding laws,” according to a statement from his office.
“Police deploying chemical irritant munitions,” the department said in a statement. “Follow orders of police and disperse immediately. Avoid the area of University Blvd & Park Ave.”
The violent outbrust’s come as over 300 people were arrested at Columbia University and City College Tuesday night. New York Mayor Eric Adams said protesters at Columbia University were being influenced by outside individuals.
“Students have a right to protest and free speech is the cornerstone of our society. But as our major concern we knew and we saw that there were those who were never concerned about free speech. They were concerned about chaos. It was about external actors hijacking peaceful protests influence students to escalate,” Adams said.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned the protests in a video posted to X, saying America was “working to drop Gaza from the agenda of world public opinion”.
“Look at what is happening in American and European universities,” he added.
