Colleges around the U.S. implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, as police made more arrests at the University of Texas, and Columbia University said it was beginning to suspend students who defied an ultimatum to disband the encampment there.
Dozens of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear, confronted protesters who returned to the University of Texas at Austin on Monday. They quickly arrested six protesters and took others into custody one by one. Officers used pepper spray after a group of protesters blocked the path of a police van carrying demonstrators who were arrested. The crowd backed away but continued to block the exit from campus. Officers then used two flash bang explosives to clear a path so the van could leave.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reposted on social media video of troopers arriving on the 50,000-student campus. "No encampments will be allowed," Abbott said.
Just last week, hundreds of police pushed into protesters at the university, arresting 34 people.
Deadline passes, suspensions begin
In New York, at Columbia, student activists defied a 2 p.m. deadline to leave an encampment of around 120 tents on the school's Manhattan campus. Instead, hundreds of protesters marched around the quad, clapping, chanting and weaving around piles of temporary flooring and green carpeting meant for graduation ceremonies that are supposed to begin next week.
A handful of counter-demonstrators waved Israeli flags, and one held a sign reading, "Where are the anti-Hamas chants?"
The university didn't call police to roust the demonstrators. But three hours after the deadline passed, school spokesperson Ben Chang said Columbia had begun suspending students. He didn't indicate how many students were involved. He also didn't say how the suspensions would be carried out or whether suspended students would be ejected from the campus
Chang said that while the university appreciated the free speech rights of students, the encampment was a "noisy distraction" that was interfering with teaching and preparation for for final exams. The protests also made some Jewish students deeply uncomfortable, he said.
Protest organizers said they were not aware of any suspensions as of Monday evening.
The notice sent to protesters earlier Monday said if they left by the deadline and signed a form committing to abide by university policies through June 2025, they could finish the semester in good standing. If not, the letter said, they would be suspended, pending further investigation.
Early protests at Columbia sparked similar pro-Palestinian protest encampments at schools across the U.S. Students and others have been sparring over the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll. Many students are demanding their universities cut financial ties with Israel.
The number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000. The protests have even spread to Europe, with French police removing dozens of students from the Sorbonne university after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the main courtyard.
College classes are wrapping up for the semester, and campuses are preparing for graduation ceremonies, giving schools an extra incentive to clear encampments. The University of Southern California cancelled its main graduation ceremony.
But students have dug in their heels at some high-profile universities, with standoffs also continuing at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others.
Protesters at Yale set up a new camp with dozens of tents Sunday, nearly a week after police arrested nearly 50 and cleared a similar one nearby. They were notified by a Yale official that they could face discipline, including suspension, and possible arrest if they continued.
Yale said in a statement Monday that while it supports peaceful protests and freedom of speech, it does not tolerate policy violations such as the encampment. School officials said that the protest is near residential colleges where many students are studying for final exams, and that permission must be granted for groups to hold events and put up structures on campus.
