Pro-Palestine protests at US colleges: as it happened

Princeton University students have launched a hunger strike “in support of the millions of Palestinians enduring the continuous siege in Gaza imposed by the state of Israel.” They intend to continue the strike until the administration convenes to address issues such as disclosure, divestment, boycotting Israel, and amnesty for protesters.

The Colombian government has officially notified the Israeli ambassador that it is terminating diplomatic relations and plans to withdraw related personnel, but has decided that consular services should be maintained in both Tel Aviv and Bogota, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Demonstrations and clashes with police at college campuses across the US over the past few weeks have led to over 2,300 arrests as of Friday, the latest data shared by AP indicates.

On Friday, the NYPD announced the arrest of 44 individuals at the New School, a private university in New York City, after it was called in to help disperse Gaza protesters.

“We gave them options to leave multiple times,” an NYPD spokesperson told WABC. “We gave them what the options were in terms of summons desk appearance ticket, and you saw they opted to take the investigators ticket, and what’s disturbing, as usual, you can hear the complete anti-Israel hatred live right here.”

Another 13 individuals were arrested during protests at New York University.

CIA Director William Burns is set to travel to the Middle East to participate in discussions regarding the potential release of American hostages in Gaza and the prospect of a ceasefire, NBC News reported today, citing a source familiar with the situation.

Burns is anticipated to make a stop in Cairo, where previous negotiations aimed at securing at least a temporary cessation of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza have occurred.

Reuters reports that a UN official has cautioned against the possibility of an Israeli operation in Rafah, highlighting its potential to endanger the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and to disrupt humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, expressed these concerns at a Geneva press briefing, emphasizing that such an attack “could be a slaughter of civilians and an incredible blow to relief operations in the entire strip, because it is run primarily out of Rafah.” Laerke noted that Rafah serves as a crucial hub for essential humanitarian activities, including medical services, food distribution, and assistance for malnourished children.

The Portland Police Bureau has said that 29 people were arrested during pro-Palestinian protests at Portland State University on Thursday evening.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek released a statement condemning the “criminal actions” of the demonstrators, which she said “resulted in the burning of 15 Portland Police Bureau cars, endangering first responders and the surrounding community.”

The University of Southern California (USC) has sent an email to dozens of its students who were arrested for alleged criminal trespassing, warning them that they will be “referred to the University’s disciplinary process,” ABC News reported.

Continued violations of the college’s policies regarding things such as camping, vandalism, theft of property and others “will result in further discipline up to expulsion as well as an immediate ban from campus,” the email reportedly read.

An officer who fired his gun as police were removing protesters from a Columbia University building earlier this week did so accidentally, the New York Police Department has said.

The policeman was intending to use a flashlight attached to his weapon, but ended up releasing a single round that struck a frame on a wall inside Hamilton Hall, according to the NYPD. There were other officers but no students nearby at the moment of the incident, it added.

The shooting was captured by the officer’s body camera, and the footage has been handed over to the Manhattan district attorney’s office for review, the department said.

The number of people detained during the pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the US in recent weeks has reached 2,200, according to calculations by AP.

FILE PHOTO: Police officers detain a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). © AFP / Mario Tama