Police at UCLA move to break up anti-Israel encampment

Click here to follow continuing coverage on Thursday, May 2, of the anti-Israel demonstrations unfolding at American colleges and universities across the nation.

UCLA is requiring classes to be held remotely on Thursday and Friday as anti-Israel protests continue to escalate on campus.

The university sent out an alert announcing an "emergency on campus" early Thursday morning after law enforcement agencies briefly breached the encampment in Dickson Plaza before withdrawing to regroup.

Employees are also encouraged to work remotely as the alert said for everyone to avoid the area of Dickson Court/Plazas (Royce Quad).

Anti-Israel protesters have enacted a plywood wall around their encampment on the UCLA campus.

Anti-Israel protesters at UCLA have built a wall around their encampment as tensions rise with multiple law enforcement agencies on campus, who have been increasing their presence over the past few hours ahead of an anticipated raid.

Walls of plywood can be seen surrounding most of the encampment, which was already behind railing, and protesters can be seen standing up above the top of the plywood with strobe lights and Palestinian flags.

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin said power drills could be heard throughout the night as the protesters continued to fortify the barrier separating them from multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

Melugin estimated there are hundreds of protesters behind the plywood and hundreds more surrounding the police perimeter.

Law enforcement is expected to enter the encampment sometime this morning after multiple calls for the protesters to leave the area. Melugin said a police source texted him saying, "It's about to go down."

Graffiti is pictured on a wall as pro-Palestinian demonstrators have occupied the Millar Library on the campus of Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon on April 30, 2024. (JOHN RUDOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Israel protesters on the campus of Portland State University have occupied Millar Library and refused to negotiate with university officials, reports state.

Though the campus will reopen Thursday and ID cards will be required to enter all buildings, the large library will remain closed, Fox 12 in Oregon reported.

The anti-Israel protesters occupied the building on Monday, and the university was closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Talks eventually broke down between the protesters and administrators and police.

“The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is actively collaborating with Portland State University (PSU) to address the illegal activities at the university’s Millar Library. After a group of protesters departed from a peaceful First Amendment gathering and unlawfully entered the campus building on Monday, the PPB has been working in partnership with city leaders, other municipal bureaus, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and Portland State University to ensure a safe resolution,” a PPB spokesperson told Fox 12.

“It is important to emphasize that a tremendous amount of work is being done in the background to find a resolution to this event. Among those efforts, PPB and PSU administration have made numerous attempts to begin a dialogue with the participants. So far, our efforts have not been successful.”

Police Chief Bob Day estimated Monday that up to 75 protesters occupied the library. Photos released from inside the library show pro-Palestine graffiti spray painted on the walls inside the library and damage throughout the floors of the building, according to the Oregonian.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu applauded the local and state police response late Wednesday night to anti-Israel encampments illegally erected at Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire.

"State police mobilized to support local law enforcement at UNH + @Dartmouth to quickly address the encampments, which violate school policies. Thanks to all those who worked with UNH & Dartmouth to provide on-the-ground support. Peaceful protests are fine, breaking the law is not," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Ninety people were arrested by Hanover police at Dartmouth for trespassing and resisting arrest, the department said.

An unconfirmed number were arrested by campus police at UNH, according to New Hampshire State Police.

Ninety people were arrested at Dartmouth College during a planned anti-Israel protest at the school on Wednesday, Hanover police confirmed Thursday morning.

Chief Charles Dennis said the department was told ahead of time by Dartmouth Safety and Security that no encampments or tents would be allowed during the protest, but they were put up anyway.

Multiple announcements were made by Dartmouth Safety and Security, Hanover police and New Hampshire State Police to the protesters, telling them to leave the area before arrests started taking place, Dennis said. He added that while some protesters did leave, many stayed.

"This event required a multi-agency response including assistance from the Central New Hampshire Special Operations Unit (CNHSOU) to ensure community safety," Dennis said.

The 90 arrested included Dartmouth students and some who are not students at the private institution. They were taken into custody for multiple offenses, including criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

Officials at Stony Brook University said 29 people were arrested during anti-Israel protests Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Officials said among those arrested were students, faculty and "others from outside our campus community" for violating university statutes.

"What began as a peaceful demonstration escalated to include intimidation and harassment of other students and the erection of tents in violation of the University's clearly stated policy. University officials made every effort to avert this outcome," the university said in a statement.

The university said administrators offered to schedule a meeting around 7 p.m. on Wednesday with President Maurie McInnis and Justin Fincher — who's executive director of the Stony Brook Foundation — to discuss demands made by the protesters in return for them departing the Staller steps by 11 p.m.

The protesters rejected the university's offer, officials said.

Stony Brook is a public research university located on the north side of Long Island, about 60 miles east of New York City.

The University of Pennsylvania, which is facing anti-Israel protests like fellow Ivy League members Columbia, Yale, Harvard and Princeton, has reportedly locked down Van Pelt Library on campus early Thursday morning.

The Daily Pennsylvanian reported early Thursday that the Allied Security guards at the library's front desk and Penn Police will allow students to leave the building, but no other students are allowed enter. It's unclear how long the lockdown will continue.

Earlier Wednesday evening, anti-Israel protesters moved over barricades surrounding the Gaza Solidarity Encampment during an 8 p.m. rally at the Ben Franklin Statue on College Green.

Celebrations for outgoing Class of 2024 seniors and the incoming Class of 2025 seniors were moved to other venues on campus.

California Highway Patrol officers gather outside of the anti-Israel encampment on the campus on UCLA ahead of an anticipated sweep early Thursday morning.

Fox News Correspondent Bill Melugin reports California Highway Patrol officers are gathering outside of the UCLA encampment with zip ties, crowd control gear and non-lethal weapons.

The anti-Israel protesters inside the encampment can be seen waving Palestinian flags and pointing strobe lights in the direction of law enforcement.

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department have also set a perimeter on campus.

Tension is rising as protesters and police await an anticipated sweep of the encampment, which is expected to take place at some point after midnight local time.

Melugin estimates there are several hundred anti-Israel protesters in the encampment and surrounding the law enforcement agencies on the perimeter.

No violence has been reported tonight on campus as of 12:05 a.m. local time.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block released a statement on Wednesday hours after escalating demonstrations broke out on campus between anti-Israel and pro-Israel groups.

Violence erupted on Royce Quad late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning when "a group of instigators" came to "forcefully attack the encampment that has been established there to advocate for Palestinian rights," Block said.

The chancellor said the hours-long clash between the two groups ultimately led the university to seek help from external law enforcement agencies.

"However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable. It has shaken our campus to its core and — adding to other abhorrent incidents that we have witnessed and that have circulated on social media over the past several days — further damaged our community’s sense of security," he wrote.

The university is "gathering information about the attack of the encampment," according to Block, who added that there could be arrests, expulsions and dismissals.

"I want to express my sincere sympathy to those who were injured last night, and to all those who have been harmed or have feared for their safety in recent days," Block wrote. "No one at this university should have to encounter such violence."

Students who have faced discrimination on campus have also been encouraged to contact UCLA's Civil Rights Office.

"This is a dark chapter in our campus’s history. We will restore a safe learning environment at UCLA," he concluded.

A large presence of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers is happening at UCLA as protests have grown through the evening, and over at the USC campus, university officials say protests there are being caused by "demonstrators unaffiliated" with USC.

The LAPD has been put on a citywide tactical alert, according to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin, who's based in Los Angeles.

At least 30 LAPD officers are reported to be in riot gear on the UCLA campus, where anti-Israel protesters have gathered behind metal barricades. This comes one night after a night of fisticuffs between pro-Israel demonstrators and anti-Israel protesters on the UCLA campus for more than three hours before the LAPD showed up.

USC tweeted Wednesday evening that "Demonstrators unaffiliated with USC are protesting in the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Please seek alternate routes and avoid the area."

Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters have reportedly marched to Yale president Peter Salovey's home in new Haven, Conn., to protest. Local police are standing guard in front of the home, Thomas Birmingham tweeted.

The protesters are reportedly chanting things like:

“Peter, Peter you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!”

“Peter Salovey, your hands are red, 40,000 people dead.”

Dartmouth College, a private and prestigious institution New Hampshire, is the site of another anti-Israel protest. The student newspaper The Dartmouth reports that about 25 protesters have been detained by local police and are being held in vans.

Some of those vans have reportedly driven away with prisoners inside.

This is while some protesters try clearing up their encampments, and after history professor reportedly Annelise Orleck has been detained by police, according to a post on X by English and creative writing professor Jeff Sharlet, to which The Dartmouth claimed it has confirmed.

A demonstrator holds a poster reading "UCLA Faculty for Free Palestine" as UCLA faculty and staff members demonstrate next to the pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, on May 1, 2024. Dozens of police cars patrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles campus in response to violent clashes overnight when counter-protesters attacked an encampment of pro-Palestinian students. (Photo by Etienne LAURENT / AFP)

After a night of violent protests at UCLA, the protests have continued for the second night in a row. Anti-Israel protesters have built a wall around their encampment, using wood pallets and plywood and binding it together with zip ties & drilled screws. The protestors are also turtling up and gathering supplies in the middle of their camp. Just after 6 p.m., UCLA police declared on a loudspeaker that the UCLA encampment is unlawful and that everyone must leave the area. They said that those who do not leave may be subject to arrest.  Instead of exiting, the encampment cheered.

 A coalition of law firms has filed a lawsuit on behalf of victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack against American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP).

The lawsuit , filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, seeks compensatory damages for nine American and Israeli victims of the attack in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage.

The lawsuit alleges that AMP and NSJP in the United States worked as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.

The lawsuit alleges that these groups have done Hamas’ bidding by “extending their aid to fomenting chaos, violence, and terror in the United States.” 

The NYPD Wednesday evening were warning anti-Israel protesters outside Fordham University to begin clearing the area or face arrest.

A crowd of people have been gathered outside the university for most of the day chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, part of a wave of protests that have swept college campuses nationwide.

Earlier in the day, a group of individuals had entered Lowenstein Hall to occupy the building. The protesters set up an encampment inside but NYPD cleared the area and students who partook in the demonstration were suspended. 

Officials at Stanford University submitted a photo of someone on campus wearing a green headband worn by Hamas terrorist fighters to the FBI as the school struggles to reign in anti-Israel protesters camping overnight on school property. 

Like at other universities across the country, anti-Israel students at Stanford have created an encampment in the White Plaza portion of the northern California college campus to protest Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip. 

A photo of someone at the encampment wearing a green headband, a face covering and glasses eventually came to the attention of school administrators. 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano. Click here to read the full report.

As anti-Israel protests continue to plague college campuses across the country, Northwestern University has reached a deal with the protesters, sparking concern from many about the conditions.

On Monday, the school announced an agreement to curb protest activity in return for the reestablishment of an advisory committee on university investments and other commitments.

Some who are protesting the war in Gaza condemned the Northwestern agreement as a failure to stick to the original demands of student organizers, the Associated Press reported. Some supporters of Israel claimed the deal represented "cowardly" capitulation to protesters.

One of Northwestern's radical professors has ties to a history of terror. 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price. Click here to read the full report.

A University of Tehran professor said in an interview that Iran likes seeing protests on U.S. college campuses, adding those are their supporters if there is ever a conflict between the two countries.

Professor Foad Izadi, who, according to the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy, earned his master’s degree from the University of Houston, was seen in a video being interviewed about the protests in the U.S.

"Sooner or later, this kind of support for the Zionist regime by the American regime will diminish. It might not stop completely, but its diminishing is important," he said. "This is why the demonstrations [on U.S. campuses] are important."

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner. Click here to read the full report.

Seven members of Northwestern University’s President’s Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate announced they are calling it quits on Wednesday after the school’s response to anti-Israel protests earlier this week.

In a letter obtained by the Daily Northwestern, professors Efraim Benmelech, Martin Eichenbaum, Daniel Greene and Philip Greenland, Weinberg College senior Lily Cohen, Hillel executive director Michael Simon and trustee Paula Pretlow informed NU president Michael Schill that they would be stepping down from the committee effective immediately.

The letter cited Schill’s decision to negotiate a deal between administrators and the anti-Israel campus protesters without consulting the committee as the main factor.

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick. Click here to read the full report.

Anti-Israel protesters who have set up an encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles are asking supporters to donate various items to help them sustain their acts of disobedience, including vegan food, gas masks and EpiPens. 

A Google document posted online by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA shows a list of much-needed items wanted by the protesters at the so-called UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment. 

"We will not leave. We will remain here until our demands are met," the group said in a statement. 

The list includes airsoft goggles, knee and elbow pads, utility gloves - without reinforced knuckles – bright flashlights with strobe, rope, zip ties, skater helmets, shields, wood to construct a barrier and non-steroid inhalers. 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano. Click here to read the full report.

The NYPD late Wednesday cleared an encampment that had formed at Fordham University as part of nationwide anti-Israel protests.

The NYPD said Fordham requested its assistance to disperse an unlawful encampment of individuals inside one of their buildings. At least 15 students were arrested.

The university said a group of individuals entered Lowenstein Hall early Wednesday morning “for the purpose of occupying the building.” The protesters set up an encampment, chanted loudly and interfered with daily operations, the university said.

Throughout the day “additional protests” surfaced and encroached on university property outside, the university said.

The university said it requested the assistance of police to “ensure that further escalation does not occur.”

The university request officers remain on campus through May 22, when commencement and diploma ceremonies are complete “to maintain order and ensure encampments are not reestablished.”

Police officers in riot gear on Wednesday tore down an encampment at an anti-Israel demonstration on the campus of UT Dallas.

Around 100 volunteers had set up the encampment in Chess Plaza early last Friday, hanging a banner that read “Welcome to Gaza Liberation Plaza,” per reporting from FOX 4.

Police officers closed in on the campus Wednesday afternoon and arrested at least 19 people after warning certain participants they were criminally trespassing.

Protesters surrounding the scene taunted the officers chanting, “shame on you

Protesters stood outside Fordham University Wednesday taunting administrators and police after the school notified protesters that they were suspended for forming an encampment.

Protesters had set up tents in Leon Lowenstein Center Lobby earlier Wednesday, following the lead of other universities nationwide.

Video obtained by Fox News Digital shows protester, many decked out in keffiyehs, slamming on the window and shouting “f--- you pigs!” and “shame!” at officers and administrators inside.

Students inside displayed their suspension notification up through the window, some with the words “Free Palestine” written on the paper.

Later, protesters marched down the sidewalk chanting: “Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest!” as officers in riot gear looked on. 

The House voted to expand the legal definition of antisemitism used to enforce anti-discrimination laws at a time when anti-Israel protests are raging at college campuses across the country.

The bill overwhelmingly passed the House by a 320-91 vote, netting a majority of Republicans and Democrats.

If passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden, the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act would mandate that the Department of Education legally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination rules. 

Critics of the bill have attacked it as government overreach and said it would negatively impact free speech on campus.

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind. Click here to read the full report.

Anti-Israel demonstrations resumed at Emory University Wednesday as protesters entered the undergraduate admissions building.

Video footage shows students trickling into the front entrance while chanting “Free free free Palestine.”

The renewed demonstrations come after dozen were arrested last week in connection with anti-Israel demonstrations.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, a temporary campus-wide alert was in place around the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church after “suspicious bag” was found nearby, per FOX 5 Atlanta.

Emory University issued the following statement: "At 3:35 p.m., Emory University notified our community about a police emergency at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church and instructed people to avoid the area. A suspicious package was found near the church and Glenn School. Emory Police requested assistance from DeKalb Police to investigate. Law enforcement officers determined the package did not pose a threat and Emory issued an all-clear at 4:03 p.m."

The lockdown was listed around 4 p.m.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday slammed protester who flew Palestinian flags above universities during anti-Israel demonstrations, calling the act “despicable.”

“That’s our flag folks. You don’t take over our buildings and put another flag up. That may be fine to other people but it’s not to me,” Adams said during a press conference. “My uncle died defending this country. And these men and women put their lives on the line.”

The Democratic mayor said it was “despicable” that schools would allow the flag of another country “to fly in our country.”

“So, blame me for being proud to be an American,” Adams said.

His comments came after a Monday deadline passed for anti-Israel protesters to leave an academic building they had taken over at Columbia University. Late Tuesday, police officers entered the building, clearing it of protesters and clearing the campus encampment. 

The 10 protesters arrested at the University of South Florida campus were identified as Adnan Elyaman, Anas Juma, Bailey Wagner, Cameron Pressey, Daniel Powell, Emmanuel Atmosfera, Jeff Geffon, Leonardo Tilelli, Atah Othman, Sarah Fayiz. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

Ten protesters at an anti-Israel rally that quickly became chaotic were arrested Tuesday at the University of South Florida campus after authorities deployed tear gas. 

Around 75 to 100 protesters arrived at the Tampa college campus Tuesday morning, including some not affiliated with the university, with wood shields, umbrellas and tents, school police said. 

As the day progressed, authorities saw social media posts where participants expressed the intent to bring weapons to resist university staffers and campus police, authorities said. 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano. Click here to read the full report.

An NYPD prison bus splattered with red paint. (Just The News)

 An NYPD bus was splattered with red paint outside Fordham University Wednesday, hours after an encampment was formed during anti-Israel demonstrations.

The school notified protesters later Wednesday that they were suspended and banned from campus.

A letter from Fordham’s Vice President for Student Affairs Michele C. Burris told the protesters they have been suspended from “on-campus housing assignment, classes, final examinations, and all events including senior week and commencement.”

The letter directs them to "leave Fordham University property."

Officers were on scene, keeping people confined to the sidewalk, as a crowd could be heard chanting: “Free free free Palestine.”  

University of Wisconsin in Madison Police arrested at least 34 people Wednesday morning in connection with anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.

The university said a majority of those arrested were released with no citation issued, but four were booked into Dane City jail related to battery of a police officer or resisting arrest.

At least four police officers and three Dane County deputies were injured – all of which were related to physical resistance. A state trooper also sustained injuries when a protester struck their head with a skateboard.  

Students at Fordham University began forming “Gaza solidarity” encampments at Fordham University early Wednesday, the latest among anti-Israel demonstrations that have swept college campuses nationwide.

Video footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows protesters setting up tents in the Leon Lowenstein Center lobby, as a group outside chanted “Free free free Palestine!”

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and Fordham Public Safety officers could be seen lining all entrances and exits.

A post from Fordham Students for Justice in Palestine on Instagram last week demanded that the school “recognize its responsibility as a Jesuit institution to uphold the inherent dignity and right to life of Palestinians.”

Later Wednesday, the group posted that it was getting “none of our demands and being threatened with arrest and suspension.”

Columbia University President Nemat (Minouche) Shafik testifies before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on "Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University's Response to Antisemitism" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik on Wednesday defended calling in the NYPD to end the occupation of Hamilton Hall the night prior.

The embattled university president said the occupation created a “disruptive environment for everyone” and raised safety risks to an “intolerable level.”

Shafik said the university had for months tolerated unauthorized demonstrations – including the encampment – and leaders made good faith efforts to reach a compromise with the protest representatives, but were unable to come to a resolution.

“Because my first responsibility is safety, with the support of the University’s Trustees, I made the decision to ask the New York City Police Department to intervene to end the occupation of Hamilton Hall and dismantle the main encampment along with a new, smaller encampment,” Shafik said.

Shafik cited Columbia’s “long and proud tradition” of protest and activism, citing examples during the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. She said today’s protesters were also fighting for an important cause: “the rights of Palestinians and against the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.”

But certain actions by students and “outside activists” amounted to acts of destruction, not political speech, she said, adding that many students “felt uncomfortable and unwelcome because of the disruption and antisemitic comments made by some individuals.”

Shafik urged calm in the weeks ahead as students complete their academic work ahead of Commencement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued a statement in response to overnight violence at UCLA during anti-Israel protests.

“I condemn violence at UCLA last night,” the Democratic governor said. “The law is clear: The right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus. Those who engage in illegal behavior must be held accountable for their actions – including through criminal prosecution, suspension, or expulsion.”

The New York City Police Department released footage from the raid on Hamilton Hall, which had been taken over by anti-Israel protesters this week.

The police footage shows officers entering through an upper window and clearing rooms of students. Later in the footage, police can be seen clearing encampments elsewhere on the University of Columbia's campus.

The footage ends with a clip of officers once again raising the American flag over the campus lawn. Protesters had removed the flag and replaced it with a Palestinian flag.

The NYPD says they made roughly 300 arrests during the overnight operation. While the encampments have been removed, protests continue at Columbia and many other colleges across the country.

Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, will soon introduce legislation that would withhold federal financial aid from student protesters convicted of rioting or attacking police in the latest wave of anti-Israel unrest, Fox News Digital has learned.

Police have already arrested hundreds of student protesters for various crimes at anti-Israel encampments across the country. New York City police alone arrested roughly 300 students during late night clearing operations at Columbia University and City College of New York.

"As a nation founded on principles of justice and respect for the rule of law, we must take a firm stance against violence and lawlessness, especially when directed at those who risk their lives to uphold order and protect our communities. My new legislation aims to send a clear message: if you assault a police officer or engage in rioting, you forfeit your right to federal financial aid," Pfluger told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"This is not a matter of political ideology but of basic decency and respect for our fellow citizens. The horrific antisemitic riots on college campuses across the country underscore the urgency of this issue. We cannot allow the persecution of Jewish Americans or any community to go unchecked," he added.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., slammed President Biden for his response to the violent anti-Israel protests, warning the "jackwagons" partaking in the demonstrations will continue to wreak havoc until they are stopped. Kennedy joined "Fox & Friends" Wednesday to discuss how Biden's response to the pro-Palestinian protests has garnered criticism from both sides of the political aisle. 

JOHN KENNEDY:  It should not go unnoticed that President Biden has the ability to stop all of this on a dime. All he's got to do is call the college presidents and say, look, if you don't get control of your campuses, I'm going to withhold your federal money. The president hasn't done that. The moral of the story is you're never... too old to suck. The reason he hasn't done that is because of politics. CNN just came out with a poll. It said that 52% of likely voters in America will not vote for President Biden under any circumstance, any circumstances... They would vote for the guy who salts the fries at McDonald's before they would vote for President Biden, and the White House knows this, so they're scared to alienate the not insubstantial, Hamas wing of the Democratic Party. 

What you allow is what will continue. If you allow… these jackwagons on the college campuses to continue to do what they're doing, they're going to continue to do what they're doing.

College Democrats of America, the official student arm of the Democratic Party, have criticized the Biden administration's policy towards the war in Gaza while praising the anti-Israel protesters on college campuses who they say have been wrongly labeled as hateful by certain politicians and MAGA Republicans.

In a statement released on Tuesday following the overnight capture of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, the group described agitators as "heroic" for their actions as dozens of colleges came under siege by Palestinian flag-carrying demonstrators who are calling for a ceasefire in the war and for their respective universities to divest from Israel.  

"Since the beginning of this conflict, College Democrats and students from every walk of life have had the moral clarity to see this war for what it is: destructive, genocidal, and unjust," the statement released by the group’s executive board reads. The statement was written largely by the organization’s Muslim Caucus, The New York Times reports. 

"We commend the bravery of students across the country who have been willing to endure arrests, suspension, and threats of expulsion to stand up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people."

"The end of the conflict and release of hostages is a goal we should all share as Americans in pursuit of a more just international community."

Anti-Israel radicals have protested outside of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s Texas home more than a dozen times in recent weeks, with the agitators reportedly tied to the Students for Justice in Palestine group occupying college campuses nationwide, Fox News Digital exclusively learned. 

Cruz’s home in Houston has been the target of 14 protests since February, including a protest on Friday when one suspect was arrested. Cruz’s office said that the senator remains resolute in his support of Israel, while brushing off the protesters' tactics of "harassment or intimidation." 

"Senator Cruz will continue to stand with Israel and support Israel's right to defend itself and utterly eradicate Hamas. No amount of harassment or intimidation by terrorist supporters will change that," a spokesman for the senator said. 

Student agitators have infiltrated college campuses nationwide in recent weeks, including radicals on Columbia University’s campus taking over the campus’ Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale are working to clear student encampments where protesters demand their elite schools completely divest from Israel. 

The protests follow terrorist organization Hamas launching war in Israel on Oct. 7, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was "open season for Jews on our campuses." The protests have now heightened to the point where Jewish students have been warned to leave campus for their own safety. 

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this update.

The University of California, Los Angeles canceled classes Wednesday after police in riot gear broke up fights between anti-Israel protesters and counter-demonstrators on campus overnight.

"Due to the distress caused by the violence that took place on Royce Quad late last night and early this morning, all classes are cancelled today. Please avoid the Royce Quad area," the university posted on social media. 

The UCLA website says a police presence remains on campus. 

"We have law enforcement presence stationed throughout campus to help promote safety. Student Affairs will have essential staff on campus to support our students who have been impacted by this tragedy," the website states. 

Photos and videos online captured a glimpse of the chaos on UCLA's campus as they showed people throwing chairs, using sticks and weapons to beat each other and shoving and kicking one another. Firecrackers were also tossed into groups of people and pepper spray was deployed at various times.

The unrest was allowed to continue for at least two hours before law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this update.

Former President Donald Trump speculated Wednesday morning that the ongoing riots on college campuses are intentionally drawing attention away from the border.

Trump made the assertion following a night of discord on Columbia University's campus as New York Police Department officers clashed with students protesting in support of Palestinians.

"Do you think that the Radical Left Lunatics that are causing all of the CHAOS at our Colleges and Universities are doing so in order to take the FOCUS away from our Southern Border, where millions of people, many from prisons and mental institutions, are pouring into our Country? Just askin’…???"

Trump repeatedly condemned the violent anti-Israel protests erupting across the country, telling Fox News Digital that "weak and ineffective leadership" at universities must be immediately "replaced" while declaring that antisemitism "must be stopped quickly and effectively."

Pro-Palestinian agitators clashed with pro-Israel students on UCLA’s campus overnight, with local officials warning students that the campus was "out of control" and "no longer safe." 

Police with riot gear arrived at UCLA shortly after 1:00 a.m. at UCLA to gain control of campus amid hours of violence between anti-Israel and pro-Israel counter-protesters.

"This violence has to stop immediately," Trump told Fox News Digital early Wednesday morning. "Weak and ineffective leadership at colleges and universities must be replaced, and fast."

Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this update.

Pro-Palestinian students celebrate reaching a deal with the administration at Brown University, bringing an end to their encampment, in Providence, Rhode Island on April 30, 2024. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Brown University on Tuesday reached an agreement with anti-Israel protesters on its Ivy League campus to end the encampment there.

Demonstrators said they would close their encampment in exchange for administrators taking a vote to consider divestment from Israel in October. The compromise appeared to mark the first time a U.S. college has agreed to vote on divestment in the wake of the protests.

“The devastation and loss of life in the Middle East has prompted many to call for meaningful change, while also raising real issues about how best to accomplish this,” Brown President Christina H. Paxton wrote in a message to campus. 

“Brown has always prided itself on resolving differences through dialog, debate and listening to each other. I cannot condone the encampment, which was in violation of University policies. Also, I have been concerned about the escalation in inflammatory rhetoric that we have seen recently, and the increase in tensions at campuses across the country. I appreciate the sincere efforts on the part of our students to take steps to prevent further escalation.”

Anti-Israel activists on campus celebrated news of the deal, which brought an end to the encampment.

Last November, Paxton was caught omitting references to Jewish students on campus in a speech after she was heckled by pro-Palestinian activists.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Anti-Israel students are occupying two academic buildings on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus, Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East. (California State University / Facebook)

A university in California was forced to change its commencement later this month in the wake of anti-Israel protests and unrest on campus that resulted in agitators occupying two academic buildings.

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, or simply Cal Poly Humboldt, announced Wednesday that it will hold a modified in-person commencement ceremony with additional ceremonies.

The university said additional details would be provided later this week. The commencement is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024.

The forced change comes after police arrested dozens of anti-Israel agitators while forcibly removing them from occupying Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East on Tuesday. Those arrested face charges of unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, and assault of police officers.

In the announcement Wednesday, the university said the campus would continue to observe a "hard closure" that was put into effect as protests escalated into violent demonstrations.

"With the hard closure of campus in place, no one is allowed to walk through the center of campus," Cal Poly said.

"All students who have a meal plan, including those who live off campus, are free to use The J, College Creek Marketplace, and the Cupboard dining facilities, which will continue to operate during their regular business hours," it added. "To access Dining facilities, students must walk down LK Wood to Granite Avenue and back. Housing residents are free to leave and return to campus."

On Tuesday, shortly after 2:30 a.m., law enforcement officers arrested 35 individuals when they carried out an operation tasked with clearing and securing the two buildings, as well as the surrounding area. The arrests were without incident and there were no reported injuries, the university said.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this update.

Police at Emory University in Georgia have announced the arrest of a "convicted felon who crossed state lines to come to campus" to participate in anti-Israel demonstrations. 

Derek Zika, of Statesville, North Carolina, a city outside of Charlotte, was carrying knives and pepper spray when he was taken into custody at the Emory Quad on Sunday afternoon, the University’s police department says. 

The day before, Zika had given a speech in which he said anyone on campus who tries to de-escalate tensions is "selling out the people of Gaza," according to The Emory Wheel student newspaper.  

"You are fighting a war," Zika reportedly added. "Fight to win." 

Zika has been charged with criminal trespass, obstructing a law enforcement officer, possession of a weapon in a school safety zone, criminal trespass and crossing state lines with weapons, intoxicants or drugs. Jail records indicated Wednesday that he has since bonded out. 

"Police obtained a search warrant and inspected Zika’s vehicle Monday evening. Inside the vehicle police found an axe, a hatchet and two knives in a bag with survival gear," police said in a statement.  

"Emory Police Chief Burt Buchtinec thanks community members who alerted the department to the individual being on campus," the statement added. 

Emory University in Atlanta said last Thursday that 28 people were arrested during a demonstration at the Emory Quad. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this update.

A Columbia student went viral online after telling members of the media that protesters were at risk of dying or becoming severely ill if authorities did not deliver food and water to them. (Getty Images / AP)

A Columbia University graduate student went viral online after telling members of the media that protesters were at risk of dying or becoming severely ill if authorities did not deliver food and water to them. 

"First of all, we're saying that they're obligated to provide food to students who pay for a meal plan here," the student told reporters when asked about Columbia's role providing food access for students occupying the campus building Hamilton Hall.

The student is reported to be Johannah King-Slutzky, an instructor and Ph.D. candidate at Columbia, according to National Review.

"I guess it's ultimately a question of what kind of community and obligation Columbia feels it has to its students," King-Slutzky said. "Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation or get severely ill, even if they disagree with you?"

She continued: "If the answer is no then you should allow basic — I mean, it's crazy to say since we're on an Ivy League campus — but this is like, basic humanitarian aid we're asking for, like could people please have a glass of water?" 

"Columbia students who took over a campus building are demanding food and water as part of their basic human rights," Outkick founder Clay Travis wrote. "Really."

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this update.

New York City Police Department officers tore down a Palestinian flag at City College of New York Wednesday morning and replaced it with an American flag after regaining control of campus following anti-Israel protests. (X/@NYPDDaughtry / Screenshot)

Officers with the New York City Police Department restored the American flag on the City College of New York campus after it was replaced with a Palestinian flag by anti-Israel agitators during a protest.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry applauded the move on X, formerly Twitter, at around 12:39 a.m. Wednesday – not long after officers gained control of the campus.

"An incredible scene and proud moment as we have assisted @CityCollegeNY in restoring order on campus, culminating in raising Old Glory once again on their campus flagpole," Daughtry wrote on X.

It's unclear when the Palestinian flag was raised on the campus' flagpole, but Within Our Lifetime Palestine, a pro-Palestinian account on X, posted a video of it flying in place of the American flag at 8:59 p.m. Tuesday.

In similar fashion to nearby Columbia University, CCNY had been experiencing days of anti-Israel protests on campus as agitators called for the university to divest from Israel and for a cease-fire in Gaza, among other things.

New York Police Department officers detain dozens of pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University after they barricaded themselves at the Hamilton Hall building near Gaza Solidarity Encampment earlier in New York, United States on April 30, 2024. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The arrests at Columbia University have divided New York Democrats, with some expressing outrage and others calling the protests violent and unlawful. 

"If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ presidents," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on X shortly after New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that police would intervene to end the occupation of Hamilton Hall.

"Other leaders and schools have found a safe, de-escalatory path. This is the opposite of leadership and endangers public safety. A nightmare in the making," she said. "I urge the Mayor to reverse course." 

After the police made dozens of arrests at Hamilton Hall, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., expressed outrage at the number of officers called to deal with "nonviolent" protesters.

"I am outraged by the level of police presence called upon nonviolent student protestors on Columbia and CCNY’s campuses. As an educator who has first hand experience with the over-policing of our schools, this is personal to me," Bowman posted on X.

But fellow Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, whose district encompasses Columbia University, had a different take. 

"No one has a First Amendment right to erect illegal encampments, blockade entrances, vandalize property, break windows and doors, block students from accessing campus, hold people hostage, and harass and intimidate 'Zionists' (i.e. most Jews)," Torres posted.

"These are not activities protected by the First Amendment.  These are crimes punishable by law." 

The Los Angeles Police Department is now on the scene at the University of California, Los Angeles, but for hours before they arrived the scene was a battlefield.

Pro-Israel counter-protesters went to the university overnight to confront the anti-Israel protesters who set up an encampment on campus. Fighting broke out and continued for hours before Mayor Karen Bass sent police to the school to break it up. 

Video provided by FOX affiliate KTTV shows scenes from the brawl, which lasted about three hours before police intervened. People threw firecrackers, there was pepper spray witnessed and observers described the scene as one of complete chaos.

Officials have not yet released any numbers of injuries or arrests linked to the late-night violence, KTTV reported.

UCLA's Strategic Communications office released a statement on the violence: 

"Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support. The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end."

Less than a week after the police response to Emory's anti-Israel encampment set off an uproar, things were calm on the elite university's Atlanta campus on Monday. But passions still ran high among students who continued to chant against Israel and demanded the college president's resignation.

Fox News Digital spoke to several students who were present at Monday's gathering, on everything to why they don't view anti-Zionism as antisemitic, to how they feel about the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, to whether they can support President Biden in November. Dozens of others declined interview requests and opportunities to elaborate on their views.

Anti-Israel voices are often highly sensitive about what they view as the improper conflation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism, while groups like the Anti-Defamation League view anti-Zionism as antisemitic for invoking anti-Jewish tropes.

"Zionism is the movement of creating a Jewish homeland," Ibrahim, a junior at Emory, said. "It's escalated into a very violent, violent movement."

An Emory senior, Emmitt, said Zionism was at the "root of antisemitism."

"They want the genocide to stop, but they don't want any violence inflicted on Jewish people," he said of the movement.

Campus unrest across the country has been prompted by Israel's current war on Hamas in Gaza, which in turn was in direct response to the Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state. Hamas terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people, committed sexual assaults and took hundreds of hostages.

Asked whether they condemned the Oct. 7 attack, students at the protest who spoke to Fox News Digital tended to equivocate rather than outright condemn it.

"Any sort of attack on civilians is very horrendous and sad, but I think that the issue of October 7 has become such – It's brought up over and over again," Ibrahim said. "But what about October 8? What about October 9? What about October 6? What about every single day since 1948 where Palestinians have been continuously killed and oppressed? Israel got attacked on that day, and obviously that's very sad for the civilians that were involved, but where's the outcry for the Palestinian civilians that have been attacked every single day?"

"All of a sudden, when this happens to White people, it's an international crisis, and there's international outrage, when it's been happening to Palestinians every single day for 75 years," he added. "So I'm not saying that what happened wasn't terrible, but that's happened to Palestinians every single day, and the double standard is very, very clear."

Fox News Digital's David Rutz contributed to this update.

College Democrats of America , the official student arm of the Democratic Party, have criticized the Biden administration's policy towards the war in Gaza while praising the anti-Israel protesters on college campuses who they say have been wrongly labeled as hateful by certain politicians and MAGA Republicans.  

In a statement released on Tuesday following the overnight capture of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, the group described agitators as "heroic" for their actions as dozens of colleges came under siege by Palestinian flag-carrying demonstrators who are calling for a ceasefire in the war and for their respective universities to divest from Israel.  

"Since the beginning of this conflict, College Democrats and students from every walk of life have had the moral clarity to see this war for what it is: destructive, genocidal, and unjust," the statement released by the group’s executive board reads. The statement was written largely by the organization’s Muslim Caucus, The New York Times reports. 

"We commend the bravery of students across the country who have been willing to endure arrests, suspension, and threats of expulsion to stand up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people."

"The end of the conflict and release of hostages is a goal we should all share as Americans in pursuit of a more just international community."

The group says it also denounced an uptick in both antisemitism and Islamophobia in colleges but added that the calling for the freedom of Palestinians is not antisemitic "and neither is opposing the genocidal acts of the far-right radical extremist Israeli government."

"We condemn those politicians, like MAGA Republicans and many other lawmakers for smearing all protesters as hateful; when according to reports, the overwhelming majority of protests are peaceful; we’ve witnessed the celebration of Passover, protection of those praying, as well as beautiful singing and dancing for peace together," the group added. "Our position is clear: we stand with those protesting for peace and we find all calls for violence, such as those against Jewish and Muslim students, wrong; those spreading hate have no place in the movement for peace."

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this update.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is calling for the removal of Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, after a mob of anti-Israel agitators took over an academic building early Tuesday morning.

In a letter sent on Tuesday to David Greenwald and Clair Shipman and obtained first by Fox News Digital, both co-chairs of the Trustees of Columbia University, Stefanik called the "chaos that has engulfed" the campus for weeks, reaching new levels early that morning when Hamilton Hall was "stormed, defaced and taken over," preventable.

The mob held workers hostage, provided demands to the university and barricaded the building, and as of the letter, it was still occupied. Police have since infiltrated the building and arrested dozens of protesters. 

"These actions, as well as the illegal encampment and violent riots, go far beyond any right to free speech protected under the First Amendment," Stefanik said. "This violence is a direct result of the appeasement policies President Minouche Shafik has used to address antisemitism on campus. 

"President Shafik has allowed campus to be taken by mob rule, and she must immediately be removed, so this occupation can be met with swift and overwhelming response to retake campus, restore order, and protect Jewish students."

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Jon Street contributed to this update.

Tulane University announced arrests have been made and students have been suspended as "unlawful" anti-Israel protests continue on the New Orleans campus.

In a letter to the community late Tuesday night, President Michael Fitts said there have been six arrests made and seven suspensions issued to students who "participated in this unlawful demonstration." There is an additional suspension pending.

Fitts added that the university is also investigating reports of employees participating in the demonstrations.

"We value free speech and have supported numerous lawful demonstrations throughout this year. But we remain opposed to trespassing, hate speech, antisemitism and bias against religious or ethnic groups. Harassment, intimidation, violence, and other criminal acts on any of our campuses will not be tolerated," he wrote.

Out of concerns for safety, Fitts said classes in Gibson, Tilton-Memorial and Dinwiddie halls will be remote on Wednesday. Classes and operations elsewhere on campus will continue as normal.

The lawn in front of Gibson Hall, on the St. Charles Avenue side, and parking in Cowen Circle are closed to all students, faculty and staff until further notice.

"The overwhelming majority of these protestors are unaffiliated with Tulane," Fitts wrote. "Security remains at its highest level throughout the university."

Police told protesters at the University of Arizona shortly before midnight local time that they were "officially under arrest."

This, as dozens of SWAT and police officers in riot gear responded to the encampment on the university's campus, according to Tucson.com.

Protesters were observed throwing items at police and SWAT officers, who arrived at the encampment with guns carrying pepper balls, the outlet reported.

A pro-Israel student screamed to protesters about to be arrested not to "drop the soap," a reference to sexual assault in prisons.

University of Arizona police issued an all-clear at 3:23 a.m.

The protesters were given a deadline of 10:30 p.m. to leave the area. And at 10:30 p.m., they were warned of possible arrest, Tucson.com reported.

Shortly before the deadline, protest organizers were handing out supplies to use in preparation for potential pepper spray or tear gas used by police.

"Help us build our barricade. Help us be ready to combat the police," an organizer said earlier into a megaphone, about an hour and a half before the deadline.

After more than two hours of clashing protests between anti-Israel protester and pro-Israel counterprotesters at the University of California Los Angeles, police responded to campus to gain control of the escalating demonstrations.

A statement from the office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at around 1 a.m. local time said: “The Mayor has spoken to Chancellor Block and Chief Choi. LAPD is responding immediately to Chancellor Block’s request for support on campus.”

It is unclear why the Los Angeles Police Department waited so long to send officers to UCLA, which is a public institution, but Fox News reported the department prepared a 'multi-agency operation' to secure campus.

Violence boiled overnight as dozens of pro-Israeli counter-protestors arrived around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the anti-Israel encampment before deploying fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray, KTLA reported.

Items were thrown and fights broke out during the violence.

University campus police, along with some medical personnel, showed up at the scene briefly before leaving.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this update.

US Police officers stand guard after clashes erupted on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Los Angeles police have arrived at UCLA to gain control of campus after hours of chaos between anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters.

"The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable," Bass wrote on X at 1:47 a.m. local time. "LAPD has arrived on campus."

The Associated Press reported the officers are wearing riot gear.

Los Angeles city councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky spoke out on the violent demonstrations taking place at UCLA Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning shortly after Mayor Karen Bass' office announced Los Angeles police are responding to campus.

Yaroslavsky, who represents Los Angeles City Council District 5, said the clashes between anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters are out of control and have created an unsafe campus.

"Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe. I’m grateful to LAPD and Mayor Bass for stepping in to ensure the safety of everyone on campus," Yaroslavsky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Columbia University said the decision to bring in the NYPD was made early Tuesday morning. 

”We were left with no choice. We believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University," the school said in a statement. 

The administration said a little after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the University’s request. "This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community," the school said. 

In a post on X, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said this is now the second time that Columbia has called the police on its own students.

"TO BE CLEAR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HAS CALLED THE COPS ONTO ITS OWN STUDENTS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO WEEKS, ON THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THEY LAST CALLED THE POLICE ONTO CAMPUS TO ARREST OVER 700 PROTESTING THE VIETNAM WAR & HARLEM GENTRIFICATION ON APRIL 30TH, 1968," the post read. 

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this update.

The New York City Police Department released footage Tuesday night of its raid inside a Columbia University building after being given permission to take it back from anti-Israel agitators.

Hamilton Hall, which was overtaken late Monday night, was cleared at around 11 p.m. Tuesday after a nearly two-hour operation by NYPD officers, most of whom were in riot gear. The encampment on campus was also cleared of agitators, only their tents remained when the raid was over.

Officers moved in on the occupied building at 9 p.m. Tuesday after leadership at Columbia requested their assistance.

"@Columbia has requested our assistance to take back their campus, which has seen disturbing acts of violence, forms of intimidation & destruction of property," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry posted on X.

The footage from the raid showed officers climbing ladders to enter Hamilton Hall through second-floor windows. Once inside the building, short video clips released by the NYPD showed officers moving chairs that were barricading doors and breaking into rooms that were locked.

"@NYPDnews is dispersing the unlawful encampment and persons barricaded inside of university buildings and restoring order," Daughtry continued on X. "We are in constant communication with university officials. Our priority is and always will be public safety for all."

Fox News confirmed the NYPD used at least four "distraction devices," which are typically light-sound devices like flashbangs or a powder charge in a canister, to clear the agitators out of Hamilton Hall. Tear gas was not used, despite local reports.

An arrest total was not available Tuesday night, but police said there was no violence during the raid and there were no injuries reported.