Harvard closes Harvard Yard as anti-Israel protesters take over Ivy League campuses across country: report
Anti-Israel protester encampments have taken over Columbia, Yale, other Ivy League universities
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harvard University has closed Harvard Yard at the heart of its campus and is restricting access to the outside area until Friday, according to a report, a move that comes as anti-Israel protesters take over open areas of other Ivy League campuses.
Signs posted on the gates of Harvard Yard on Sunday said that the area was closed to non-Harvard ID holders and that "structures, including tents and tables" are not permitted without prior permission, the Harvard Crimson first reported.
Blocking pedestrian pathways and access to building entrances was also prohibited, according to the Crimson. The university said that students who violate these policies are subject to disciplinary action.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard University but did not immediately receive a response.
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Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., is limiting access to Harvard Yard, an outdoor area at the heart of its campus, through Friday as anti-Israel protesters set up encampments at other Ivy League universities across the country, according to a report. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
The announcement comes after more than 200 anti-Israel protesters gathered in Harvard Yard on Friday and demanded that the university divest from Israeli companies and investments in the West Bank.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It also follows anti-Israel protesters setting up encampments with tents on the campuses of Yale University and Columbia University.
On Monday morning, police arrested 47 protesters at Yale University in Connecticut and charged them with misdemeanor trespassing after a week of campus protests.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last week, police in New York City arrested 108 anti-Israel protesters on Columbia University’s campus. The university announced early Monday that all classes would be held virtually on Monday as protests continued around the campus.
An individual is arrested during a pro-Palestine protest outside of Columbia University in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. (Peter Gerber)
Outside New York University (NYU), camps with tents were seen set up Monday morning.
An NYU spokesperson told Fox News in a statement that about 50 protesters began demonstrating on the plaza in front of the university’s business school without notifying the university. Picketers were also gathered on the sidewalk in front of the plaza.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While the university closed access to the plaza, classes were still being held.
"We are addressing this issue with urgency," the NYU spokesperson said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The demonstrations sparked across the Ivy League campuses just hours before the Jewish holiday of Passover was set to begin Monday evening.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.