April 28, 2024 - US university protests

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, is asking students participating in demonstrations and the occupation of at least two buildings to “leave campus peacefully.”

“The individuals who are occupying Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, or illegally camping around those facilities, are urged to leave the campus peacefully now,” the university said in a release Sunday night.

Administrators have accused protesters of trying to break into locked buildings "with the intention of either locking themselves in, vandalizing, or stealing equipment.” 

If demonstrators leave campus voluntarily, the university said it may consider the choice as a “possible mitigating factor” during conduct proceedings and when deciding what discipline students will face.

“This does not, however, eliminate responsibility for any potential conduct or criminal charges,” the university said. 

Virginia Tech police have warned pro-Palestinian protesters on campus they will face arrest if they refuse to disperse.

At about 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, university police advised demonstrators to leave within five minutes or be subject to arrest. 

Around the same time, the university warned students to avoid the protest site.

“Heavy police activity around Graduate Life Center. Urgent. Please avoid the area. Call 911 for help,” the university posted on social media.

Earlier on Sunday, officers had worked to remove demonstrators from an on-campus encampment.

“Through constant dialogue between university officials, the Virginia Tech Police Department, and protest organizers, we were able to maintain a safe and peaceful environment through much of the weekend,” the university said. 

By Sunday, the university said the situation on campus had “progressed” and had the potential to “become unsafe.” 

The number of demonstrators on George Washington University's campus had reduced to about 20 people by Sunday night, but another group erected an encampment of about 20 tents on a nearby public street over the weekend, the school said.

As an encampment grew on campus over the past few days, the university's administration decided students who remained there after being asked to leave would be temporarily suspended and "administratively barred" from school grounds.

"On Friday evening, April 26, demonstrators barred from University Yard established a second encampment in the middle of H Street, beyond the barriers securing GW property.
"Currently, we are aware of approximately 20 tents erected in the street by individuals from across the region. This demonstration is on public property and under the jurisdiction of the DC government," the university said.

The university said there had been no incidents of violence during on-campus demonstrations, though it added, “the actions of some protestors have been highly offensive to many members of our community.”

No further details on the alleged actions were provided.

"Tufts has a time-honored tradition of civil protest. Consistent with that tradition, and throughout this academic year, we have balanced our students’ right to protest with enforcing our conduct policies," the message reads. "Over the past two weeks, we have respected our community members’ right to advocate for their beliefs through a small camp site on the academic quad on our Medford/Somerville campus." 
"We have even delayed some preparations for Commencement as much as possible to allow the protest to resolve peacefully. But now the encampment must end, ideally peacefully and voluntarily, so we can prepare the campus for Commencement."

Student life staff are expected to reach out to protesters Monday, "to plan for the end of the encampment in the next few days," the message says. 

The university went on to say that "recent exchanges have been markedly different as the protesters have sought to escalate and disrupt normal university activity."

The message was signed by university president Sunil Kumar and four other school leaders, including Caroline Attardo Genco, the provost and senior vice president. 

"We are committed to maintaining an environment that will allow our students to finish the academic year strong and for the entire community to celebrate the class of 2024 at Commencement without disruptions," the message says. 

"Our students and their families and friends deserve nothing less. We invite the entire community to join us in this endeavor peacefully and responsibly." 

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr Kennedy told reporters following a campaign rally in Holbrook, New York on Sunday that he supported the rights of pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses but disagreed with their calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“First of all, you know, I support free speech. I think speech, even when speech is appalling to me, when it's reprehensible, when it makes no sense, people ought to be able to say, ought to be able to voice their concerns,” Kennedy said. 

But, he said he doesn’t “understand… what the rationale is” behind calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, though he labeled himself as “very pro-Palestinian.” 

“I don't see how people want to have a negotiation,” Kennedy said. “Every ceasefire has been used by Hamas to rearm, to regroup, to raise the banner and do another surprise attack on Israel."

Kennedy also called antisemitic threats against Jewish students on campuses “unacceptable” and urged universities to protect Jewish students. 

“If they're going to protect people who are non-white from abuse because it makes them feel unsafe, they need to do that with Jewish students, too,” he said. 

“Very high passions on both sides, and when these two come together we have seen confrontations,” CNN’s Camila Bernal reported from the campus. “People who are screaming at each other, sometimes shoving and pushing, and it does get violent at times.”

Organizers from each group have told Bernal that they are trying to keep the peace.

The school’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, confirmed in a statement that demonstrators had “breached” a barrier between the groups, and that there were “physical altercations” between protesters.

“UCLA has a long history of being a place of peaceful protest, and we are heartbroken about the violence that broke out,” the statement reads.

Information about any potential injuries has not been made available.

Pro-Palestinian protests continued Sunday on George Washington University’s campus in Washington, DC, where demonstrators have erected an encampment of dozens of tents in a park and on the neighboring street.

One counter-protester walked through the crowd with an Israeli flag draped around her shoulders. Demonstrators chanted, “Free, free, free Palestine,” at the protester, while one held a sign that read, “Genocide is bad.” 

While Sanders said he acknowledges “antisemitism exists and is growing in the United States,” he said it is not antisemitic for protesters to hold Netanyahu accountable for his actions in Gaza, which he says are “unprecedented in the modern history of warfare.”

Sanders said he condemns Hamas, antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry, but emphasized again, “We do have to pay attention to the disastrous and unprecedented humanitarian disaster taking place in Gaza right now.”