More than 2,000 people arrested nationwide in pro-Palestinian campus protests
The clashes between police officers and pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses have seized national attention.
The clashes between police officers and pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses have seized national attention, putting a spotlight on modern-day campus activism, law enforcement tactics and the contentious debate over Israel’s war in Gaza. In the last three weeks, more than 2,000 people have been arrested across the U.S., according to a tally compiled by NBC News.
The arrests of protesters at Columbia University and UCLA have drawn particular scrutiny in recent days, but political demonstrations and heated confrontations have also roiled dozens of other campuses across the U.S., from state schools in the South and the Midwest to Ivy League institutions in the Northeast.
The sheer number of arrests helps illustrate how quickly pro-Palestinian encampments and the police responses turned into chaotic flashpoints, dividing campuses and their surrounding communities. Meanwhile, Jewish and Muslim students alike have raised concerns about a sharp uptick in antisemitism and Islamophobia since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
Officers detain a pro-Palestinian demonstrator at Emory University in Atlanta on April 25.Mike Stewart / APAt least 2,100 people were arrested nationwide from April 17 to Thursday evening, according to the tally. There were at least 100 arrests apiece at eight campuses, including Emerson College and Northeastern University in Boston, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Texas at Austin.NBC News compiled tallies of the arrests based on statements from the universities or local law enforcement agencies.
In the last month, law enforcement officers made arrests on campuses including Arizona State University in Phoenix, where 72 people were arrested; California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, in Arcata, where 32 were arrested; and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where 17 people were arrested.The wave of arrests has provoked intense conversations about how university administrators, police departments, big-city mayors and community leaders should enforce laws without infringing on speech.
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