From Los Angeles to New York; Protests Against the Gaza War Spread to More Universities

The Palestinian supporters' camp at UCLA in Los Angeles witnessed clashes early Wednesday morning. Simultaneously, hours after Palestinian supporters occupied an administrative building at Columbia University in New York, law enforcement intervened and dispersed them. While UCLA officials emphasized that such protests are illegal and against regulations, some pro-Israel demonstrators attempted to remove barriers set up by Palestinian supporters on campus by throwing objects. University officials made every effort on Tuesday to keep pro-Israel and Palestinian supporters apart, but the situation escalated early Wednesday morning with the firing of fireworks advancing into the Palestinian supporters' camp and repeated object-throwing towards them. In New York, police, after a request for assistance from Columbia University officials, dismantled a tent on campus and cleared the occupied Hamilton building. In this operation, officers had to use a ladder to access the second floor and enter through a window. Columbia University stated that after the occupation of Hamilton, there was no choice but to contact the police in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause for which they were protesting. They clearly stated that university activities cannot be threatened by protesters who violate laws and regulations. At Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, police approached the Palestinian supporters' camp late Tuesday and arrested about 20 individuals for trespassing. University officials had previously warned that if protesters did not disperse, they would face criminal charges. According to official reports, several individuals were arrested early Wednesday at Columbia University; several hundred others had been arrested in the previous two weeks during demonstrations by Palestinian supporters and protests against the Israel-Hamas war across universities nationwide. Pro-Palestinian student protesters occupied a building at Columbia University. The U.S.: The Islamic Republic is not in a position to criticize human rights in the United States. Concerns from U.S. senators about the potential deployment of the National Guard to confront university protests. Student protesters against the Gaza war at some U.S. universities say the protests will continue. The U.S.: As long as the protesters' actions are not offensive, we have no problem with their expression.