Columbia University reversed its decision on 25th April to enforce an overnight deadline for pro-Palestinian demonstrators to vacate an encampment on campus, as other universities in the United States also moved to prevent similar occupations. Across various campuses nationwide, law enforcement authorities have conducted widespread arrests, occasionally resorting to chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protests regarding Israel's conflict with Hamas. 

The office of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a statement withdrawing the midnight ultimatum to dismantle a sizable tent camp housing approximately 200 students. "The negotiations have made strides and are proceeding as scheduled," the statement asserted. "We have presented our demands, and they have presented theirs." Dismissing rumours, the statement clarified that the New York City police were not invited onto the campus. "This speculation is untrue," it emphasised. 

A student, identified only as Mimi, informed AFP that she had been at the camp for seven days. "They label us as terrorists, they accuse us of being violent. However... they were the ones who summoned the police when students were peacefully gathered in a circle," she remarked. "The police wield guns and tasers; we only have our voices," she emphasized. 

Student protesters express their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where the death toll, as reported by the health ministry of the territory controlled by Hamas, has surpassed 34,305. Across various locations, including Los Angeles, Boston, and Austin, Texas, over 200 individuals demonstrating against the conflict were arrested. In Austin, approximately 2,000 people gathered again on April 25. 

In Georgia, riot officers at Emory University in Atlanta resorted to using chemical irritants and tasers to disband protests. Images depicted police officers brandishing tasers while grappling with protesters on meticulously maintained lawns. The Atlanta Police Department stated that officers, who were called in at the school's behest, encountered violence and utilised "chemical irritants" in their efforts to quell the situation. The protests, which originated at Columbia University, have expanded and become the focal point of the student protest movement. 

The protests present a significant dilemma for university administrators, who are striving to uphold commitments to free expression while addressing concerns that the demonstrations have crossed boundaries. Pro-Israel advocates and others, concerned about campus safety, have highlighted instances of anti-Semitism and alleged that campuses are fostering an environment of intimidation and hate speech. 

"I've never felt more apprehensive about being a Jew in America than I do right now," remarked Skyler Sieradsky, a 21-year-old student majoring in philosophy and political science at George Washington University. "There are students and faculty endorsing messages of hate and advocating for violence." 

Protesters, including many Jewish students, have rejected accusations of anti-Semitism and criticised officials for equating opposition to Israel with bigotry. "People from various backgrounds are here to support the Palestinian cause driven by their innate sense of justice," expressed a 33-year-old graduate student at the University of Texas, Austin, who identified as Jewish and preferred to be identified as Josh when speaking to AFP. 

The conflict escalated when US ally Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,170 deaths according to an AFP count of Israeli official figures. Hamas militants also seized around 250 hostages, with Israel estimating that 129 individuals remain in Gaza, including 34 presumed deceased. 

Image Source: The Times of Isreal