NEW YORK (NEWSnet/AP) — Columbia University canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public Monday amid campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas.

The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel’s military actions in Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel.

Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group’s Oct. 7 invasion.

In the meantime, the colleges and universities struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses.

This is also happening also near the end of the spring semester classes and finals at many campuses.

Campus Protests Include the Following:

 

Columbia University: More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green were arrested last week. Tensions remained high Monday at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside.

Harvard University: A Harvard Yard was closed to the public Monday. It said structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. “Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action,” the sign said. Security guards were checking people for school IDs. The university has also notified the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee that its April 19 demonstration violated school policy.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: About two dozen students who set up a tent encampment on the school’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus Sunday evening. They are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

New York University: An encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day Monday. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., officers began making arrests.

Yale University: Police officers arrested about 45 protesters and charged them with misdemeanor trespassing, said Officer Christian Bruckhart, a New Haven police spokesperson. All were being released on promises to appear in court later, he said. Protesters set up tents on Beinecke Plaza on Friday and demonstrated over the weekend, calling on Yale to end any investments in defense companies that do business with Israel.

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