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What do student protesters at US universities want? | What do student protesters at US universities want? |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Dozens of college campuses across the US have been taken over by students protesting against the war in Gaza. | |
Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested as the universities struggle to deal with the encampments on college grounds just days before graduation ceremonies. | |
Why are students protesting over the war in Gaza? | Why are students protesting over the war in Gaza? |
Since the 7 October attack by Hamas and Israel's retaliatory assault, students have launched rallies, sit-ins, hunger strikes and, most recently, encampments against the war. | |
They are demanding that their schools, many with massive endowments, financially divest from Israel. | |
Divestment means to sell off stock in Israeli companies or otherwise to drop financial ties. | |
Student activists say that companies doing business in Israel or with Israeli organisations are complicit in its ongoing war on Gaza. And so are the colleges that invest in those companies. | |
University endowments fund everything from research labs to scholarship funds, mostly using returns from millions - and billions - of dollars in investments. | |
Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza? | |
What happened at Columbia University? | What happened at Columbia University? |
Earlier this month, as Columbia president Minouche Shafik testified before Congress about antisemitism on campus, hundreds of students pitched tents at the New York City campus. | |
They demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and called on university leaders to divest from Israel. | |
The university said the protest violated school policies and the city's police department was called in to break up and clear the protest. More than 100 students were arrested for trespassing. | |
How police raid at Columbia ignited protests nationwide | |
The student activists have regrouped and the protests are now in their third week. In-person classes have been stopped. | |
Negotiations with student organisers have broken down and some of the demonstrators have been suspended. | |
On Tuesday the protest escalated as students took over a university building, Hamilton Hall. | |
Watch: See how Gaza campus protests spread across the US | Watch: See how Gaza campus protests spread across the US |
Watch: See how Gaza campus protests spread across the US | Watch: See how Gaza campus protests spread across the US |
Where else are students protesting? | Where else are students protesting? |
The escalating crisis at Columbia inspired similar encampments across the country, including: | |
Northeast region: George Washington; Brown; Yale; Harvard; Emerson; NYU; Georgetown; American; University of Maryland; Johns Hopkins; Tufts; Cornell; University of Pennsylvania; Princeton; Temple; Northeastern; MIT; The New School; University of Rochester; University of Pittsburgh | Northeast region: George Washington; Brown; Yale; Harvard; Emerson; NYU; Georgetown; American; University of Maryland; Johns Hopkins; Tufts; Cornell; University of Pennsylvania; Princeton; Temple; Northeastern; MIT; The New School; University of Rochester; University of Pittsburgh |
West Coast: California State Polytechnic, Humboldt; University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Berkeley; University of Washington | |
Midwest region: Northwestern; Washington University in St Louis; Indiana University; University of Michigan; Ohio State; University of Minnesota; Miami University; University of Ohio; Columbia College Chicago; University of Chicago | Midwest region: Northwestern; Washington University in St Louis; Indiana University; University of Michigan; Ohio State; University of Minnesota; Miami University; University of Ohio; Columbia College Chicago; University of Chicago |
The South: Emory; Vanderbilt; University of North Carolina, Charlotte; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Kennesaw State; Florida State; Virginia Tech; University of Georgia, Athens | |
Southwest: University of Texas at Austin; Rice; Arizona State | Southwest: University of Texas at Austin; Rice; Arizona State |
Pro-Palestinian protesters have also gathered over the past week on university campuses in Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the UK. | Pro-Palestinian protesters have also gathered over the past week on university campuses in Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the UK. |
How have universities handled the protests? | |
Some are negotiating with student activists while others are issuing ultimatums that have led to police being called in. | |
The latest round of arrests on Monday were made in Texas, Utah and Virginia. | |
But agreement was reached in Boston between Northwestern University and protesters which limits the size of the encampment. | |
National politicians have called on colleges to do more, highlighting reports of antisemitism at some of these protests. | |
Jewish students at several campuses have told the BBC about incidents that made them feel uncomfortable or fearful. | |
These ranged from chants and signs supporting Hamas, a proscribed terror group, to physical altercations and perceived threats. | |
Has protesting worked? | Has protesting worked? |
Pro-Palestinian campus groups have for years called on their institutions to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, as a means of pushing back against Israel. | Pro-Palestinian campus groups have for years called on their institutions to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, as a means of pushing back against Israel. |
No US university has ever committed to the BDS framework, although some have cut specific financial ties in the past. | No US university has ever committed to the BDS framework, although some have cut specific financial ties in the past. |
While divestment would have a negligible impact, if any, on the war in Gaza, protesters say it would shed light on those who profit from war and help build awareness of their issue. | |
Why are students recalling protests over Vietnam war? | |
Activists at Columbia and elsewhere have highlighted the protests at the end of the 1960s against US involvement in the Vietnam War. | |
Thousands were arrested and there were violent clashes with police. | |
Four students in Ohio were killed in 1970 when the National Guard opened fire. | |
Their deaths triggered a nationwide student strike and hundreds of universities closed. | |
Related Topics | Related Topics |
Israel-Gaza war | Israel-Gaza war |
Students | Students |
United States | United States |