Pro-Palestinian protests in the US campuses for weeks were more muted Friday after a series of clashes with police, mass arrests and a White House directive to restore order.
In Manhattan police cleared an encampment at New York University after sunrise, with a video posted to social media by an official showing protesters exiting their tents and dispersing when ordered to do so.
The scene appeared calm compared to crackdowns at other campuses around the country and some worldwide where protests over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza have multiplied in recent weeks.
University administrators, who tried to balance the right to protest and complaints of violence and hate speech, have called on police to clear out the demonstrators ahead of year-end exams and graduation ceremonies.
Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of U.S. universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies.
The agreements at schools including Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amid the chaotic scenes and 2,400-plus arrests on 46 campuses nationwide since April 17. Tent encampments and building takeovers have disrupted classes at some schools, including Columbia and UCLA.
Deals included commitments by universities to review their investments in Israel or hear calls to stop doing business with the longtime U.S. ally. Many protester demands have zeroed in on links to the Israeli military as the war grinds on in Gaza.
The agreements to even discuss divestment mark a shift on an issue that has been controversial for years, with opponents of a long-running campaign to boycott Israel saying it veers into antisemitism. But while the colleges have made concessions for protesters and funding for Middle Eastern studies, they have made no promises about changing their investments.
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