Pro-Palestinian Protests Rattle Universities in US As Demonstrations Continue Globally (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – From Charlottesville to Chicago, police clashed with protesters, while at the University of California Irvine, dialogue between students and officials shows signs of progress amidst ongoing global demonstrations against Israel's atrocities in Gaza.
Dozens of students, donning keffiyeh headdresses and waving Palestinian flags, briefly disrupted the commencement ceremony at the University of Michigan.
Videos of the incident at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor showed cheers and boos from the crowd as protesters marched towards the stage. Campus police intervened, guiding the protesters to the back of the stadium without making any arrests, stated Colleen Mastony, a university spokesperson. Mastony emphasized the university's long-standing support for free speech and peaceful protests during commencement ceremonies.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, police in riot gear arrested 25 individuals and employed pepper spray to disband a student encampment at the University of Virginia. President Jim Ryan confirmed that state police intervened after protesters, some unaffiliated with the university, set up tents and refused to leave, resulting in physical confrontation. Those who persisted in defying police orders were arrested for unlawful assembly.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, police detained numerous demonstrators for "criminal trespass to property" as they dismantled a protest camp at the Art Institute of Chicago. According to reports, protesters had barricaded themselves in the institute's garden, ignoring multiple warnings to disperse.
At least 68 individuals, primarily students from Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, were arrested, marking a significant police action in response to the ongoing pro-Palestinian encampments in the city.
At the University of California Irvine (UCI), calm prevailed after more than a week of protests against Israeli crimes in Gaza. Students engaged in discussions with university officials regarding divestment from companies supporting the war effort. Protest organizers, including Sarah Khalil and Esperanza Garcia, highlighted the constructive dialogue with school authorities and expressed hope for positive outcomes.
In a global context, protests against the Israeli war on Gaza continued at various universities in the US and Europe. Sit-ins were reported at the University of Southern California (USC), University College London in the United Kingdom, and Lausanne University in Switzerland, indicating ongoing solidarity with the Palestinian cause across continents.
