On 17 April, students at Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League, held a peaceful protest on its campus. They demanded a ceasefire in Palestine and called for the university's disavowal from US companies involved in the conflict, i.e., arms and ammunition manufacturers. It is worth noting that many people on social media pointed out that the protest was held in a previously designated area.

On 18 April, the university authorities called on the New York Police Department to remove a group of protesters who had been suspended from the university earlier in the day. The purposefully suspended students were arrested for trespassing on the university premises. This action was deemed counterproductive as it resulted in an increase in the number of students and even some lecturers joining the protests in solidarity with the arrested students.

The following day, the University of Columbia President, Minouche Shafik, issued a statement acknowledging the concerns about the use of police force against the protesters. The statement also condemned anti-Semitism but did not mention the words Palestine or ceasefire.

It's worth noting that anti-Semitism is often used as a slogan to criticise protests against the actions of the Israeli government and army in the Gaza Strip. While anti-Semitism still exists in many parts of the world, it's important to distinguish between legitimate criticism of international acquiescence to the destruction of the Gaza Strip and the people living there and actual anti-Semitic manifestations. It's also important to recognise that many Jewish people are among the protesters around the world.

Protests that started at Columbia University have now spread to other universities across the US, including several universities in New York. On 22 April, 47 people were arrested at Yale University after refusing to remove tents they had set up in protest. The students were escorted to buses by police officers while others applauded and shouted their support.

On the same day, New York police intervened during a peaceful protest on New York University's (NYU) campus. The protesters had set up tents. They were surrounded by a cordon of students, who were also separated from the police by a group of people from outside the university. During the protest, Muslim protesters were protected by NYU lecturers holding hands.

The university protests have gained significant attention on social media platforms, particularly on TikTok, where many people have shared their first-hand accounts of the events.

Source: reuters.com, nbcnews.com, TikTok