Outside 'instigators' and 'agitators' are behind violence, university leaders insist: Updates

Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on campus protests for Thursday, May 2. For the latest news, view our live updates file for Friday, May 3.

LOS ANGELES ? "Instigators'' and "outside agitators'' have been behind some of the most violent and shocking incidents from the rash of pro-Palestinian protests that have swept college campuses across the nation, according to two university leaders who grappled with major disturbances this week.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block vowed the university will investigate the events from the last few days, especially "Tuesday night’s horrific attack by a mob of instigators" on a protest encampment in a prominent university plaza, which left at least 15 people injured and prompted the school to cancel classes.

Early Thursday, police in riot gear swept onto the UCLA campus and tore down makeshift barricades that bordered the antiwar encampment, which had drawn hundreds of demonstrators before being attacked by counterprotesters late Tuesday into Wednesday. More than 200 people were arrested in the raid, according to the school.

Block said the encampment began peacefully but had become disruptive and a flashpoint that endangered students, so it had to go. Hostilities were "continuing to escalate,'' he said.

At Columbia, the campus was much calmer Thursday, two days after hundreds of New York Police Department officers arrived and reclaimed a building that had been broken into and occupied by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, resulting in 112 arrests. Of those, 44 took place inside the occupied Hamilton Hall, 13 of them involving people the university called "outsiders.''

Mayor Eric Adams warned about the involvement of "external actors'' in the protests just hours before sending law enforcement to campus. Columbia President Minouche Shafik also cited the participation of “outside agitators” accused of escalating protests in her decision to call for police intervention.

The college protests stem from concerns for civilian deaths in Gaza during the Israeli-Hamas war that began Oct. 7 when about 1,200 people in southern Israel were killed and more than 200 taken hostage in a Hamas-led attack. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli reprisal, the majority women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Developments:

? Pro-Palestinian protesters in New Jersey dismantled their encampment on the Rutgers-New Brunswick campus after they had successful negotiations with university officials Thursday afternoon, NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. In a statement, Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway said the "resolution was achieved through constructive dialogue between the protesting students and our leadership teams."

? Several dozen students were peacefully evacuated from the University of Mississippi campus on Thursday after more than 200 counter-protestors started to throw objects and shout at the protestors, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. About 50 to 60 protestors had gathered for a demonstration before the event escalated with counter-protestors outnumbering the pro-Palestinian protestors.

? Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, have opened talks with student leaders regarding the encampment set up in front of the school's Sproul Hall since April 22, the Daily Californian campus newspaper reported. The school said "skirmishes'' at the site between protesters and counterdemonstrators Wednesday evening resulted in three people sustaining minor injuries.

? Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues has told state university presidents not to cancel or modify commencement ceremonies because of "unruly" demonstrators. "While we are witnessing a descent into chaos all over the country, under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has maintained law and order," Rodrigues wrote in a memo to the presidents.

? Students at several French universities, including La Sorbonne and Sciences Po, have barricaded or occupied areas of their schools in protest of the war in Gaza.

Biden speaks out on college protests: 'Violence is not protected'

Reports: NYPD officer accidentally fired gun at Columbia building

A NYPD officer accidentally discharged his firearm inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University while police were clearing out protestors who were occupying the building, according to media reports. The officer's action were first reported by news outlet The City on Thursday.

NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed the incident to media outlets. Doug Cohen, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office, told The City that the firearm did not appear to be aimed at anyone and no one was injured.

In a statement to The Associated Press, NYPD said the officer was attempting to access a barricaded area and tried to use a flashlight attached to his firearm. He accidentally discharged a single round that hit a frame on the wall, according to the AP.

No students were in the "immediate vicinity," according to the statement, and only police personnel were near the area.

UCLA chancellor says encampment became 'focal point for violence'

Block explained his decision to put an end to the encampment in a letter to the campus community, saying the site had become "a focal point for violence."

"Early this morning, we made the decision to direct UCPD and outside law enforcement officers to enter and clear the encampment," his statement reads. "Officers followed a plan that had been carefully developed to protect the safety of protesters at the site. Those who remained encamped last night were given several warnings and were offered the opportunity to leave peacefully."

According to the statement, about 300 protesters left the site voluntarily, while more than 200 resisted and were arrested.

"I also want to recognize the significance of the issues behind the demonstrators’ advocacy," Block said. "The loss of life in Gaza has been truly devastating, and my administration has and will continue to connect with student and faculty leaders."

Many 'outsiders' among those who occupied Columbia building

Of the 112 people arrested Tuesday night at Columbia, 32 were not students, according to city figures released Thursday evening.

Citing NYPD data, university spokesperson Ben Chang said 13 of the 44 people arrested inside the occupied Hamilton Hall weren’t affiliated with Columbia, though the definition of who is unaffiliated remains unclear. The remaining 31 people had connections to the university. Among the arrested: 14 Columbia undergraduates; six students at affiliated institutions such as Barnard College and the Union Theological Seminary; nine graduate students; and two Columbia employees.

"A significant portion of those who broke the law by occupying Hamilton Hall were outsiders," Chang said.

Columbia’s campus remains closed to the public, including outside press, though student journalists have remained inside. Hamilton Hall is an active crime scene being investigated by police, a campus update Thursday afternoon said.

“To give you a picture of campus today,” Chang said, “Hamilton Hall and the encampments have been cleared and materials removed. Campus has been calm and, on campus, there were no rallies or demonstrations.”

University of Minnesota, protesters reach deal

Pro-Palestinian supporters agreed to remove their four-day encampment at the University of Minnesota following an agreement made with school leadership. Interim University President Jeff Ettinger agreed to "facilitate conversations" with the career services department in response to the coalition's demand to ban companies that do business with Israel from attending campus events and partaking in job fairs.

Ettinger will also recommend the University of Minnesota Police Department not arrest or press charges against anyone on a criminal offense as a result of the demonstrations and allow the organizing coalition to address the Board of Regents on May 10 concerning its demand that the university divest from Israel.

Northwestern University and Brown University are among other schools that have resolved the protests through negotiations. The Minnesota deal "grew out of a desire among those involved to reach shared understanding,' Ettinger said in a letter to the university community. "While we do not condone tactics that are outside of our policies, we appreciate student leaders' willingness to engage in dialogue."

? Sam Woodward, USA TODAY NETWORK

Biden says speech is protected but not 'chaos'

President Joe Biden condemned violence and destruction on college campuses while defending the right for pro-Palestinian protesters to peacefully demonstrate in his first public address on this week's unrest on college campuses. Biden, in previously unscheduled remarks Thursday from the White House Roosevelt Room, called peaceful protest "in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues," but he said "violent protest is not protected."

"Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows shutting down campuses, forcing the cancelation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest," Biden said. "There’s the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos."

Biden said he does not believe governors should call out the National Guard to quell the protests and that the demonstrations have not compelled him to reconsider his Middle East policies.

? Joey Garrison and Francesca Chambers

Pulitzer Prize Board lauds student journalists covering protests

The Pulitzer Prize Board recognized student journalists across the country who are covering protests in the midst of "great personal and academic risk," according to a statement released Thursday by the organization that awards journalism's highest honor.

“We would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary real-time reporting of student journalists at Columbia University, where the Pulitzer Prizes are housed, as the New York Police Department was called onto campus on Tuesday night,” the board's statement said. “In the spirit of press freedom, these students worked to document a major national news event under difficult and dangerous circumstances and at risk of arrest.”

Finalists and winners for the Pulitzer Prizes are set to be announced Monday at Columbia. The campus remained closed to outside press Thursday. Access has been heavily restricted, with the campus only open to students living on campus and essential personnel. This doesn’t include most faculty.

Police watch over demonstration at University of Pennsylvania

A "large demonstration" took place on College Green at the University of Pennsylvania, the school's public safety office said in a campus alert, urging people to avoid the area and saying police were at the scene.

Students from the Gaza Solidarity Encampment climbed a campus statue of Benjamin Franklin, draped him with the Palestinian flag, and sang songs advocating for a free Palestine.

Counter-protestors in support of the Jewish community also rallied, carrying Israeli flags and standing at the entrance of the encampment that was set up about a week ago.

The encampment consists of around 20 tents, a table with food and water, a small bookshelf, a craft table with art supplies for everyone to use, and a medical tent. Campus security watched from several spots surrounding the Ben Franklin statue, which had been power washed earlier the day to remove graffiti. Student protesters could be seen banging water bottles, playing tambourines and singing over loudspeakers.

The metal barricades surrounding the encampment were expanded Thursday, with the addition of a pen to separate the two groups of protesters. By late afternoon, a truck pulled up to the College Green and unloaded more fence pieces, signaling preparation for a continued occupation.

? Annemarie Dooling

All quiet at Columbia University

More than a dozen law enforcement officers and security personnel remained posted Thursday along the metal barricades at and around the Columbia University gate where pro-Palestinian protesters were taken into custody Tuesday night.

Outside Hamilton Hall, which was occupied by protesters early Tuesday, some people waited in line at a checkpoint to enter campus. The encampment that made Columbia the epicenter of campus protests across the nation lasted nearly two weeks before being taken down by police Tuesday.

The semester's remaining classes and final exams will be conducted online, the school's provost said Wednesday. Graduation is set for May 15, and university President Minouche Shafik has requested police maintain a presence on campus through at least May 17.

? N'dea Yancey-Bragg

Professors association lends support to protesters

Members of the Columbia University chapter of the American Association of University Professors "unequivocally condemn" the school administration's decision this week to summon the NYPD to remove student protesters from campus, the group said in a social media post Thursday. The group demanded the campus be immediately reopened to faculty, staff and students and that the NYPD be withdrawn.

The national chapter issued a statement in defense of the protests nationwide: "The AAUP and its chapters defend the right to free speech and peaceful protest on university campuses, condemn the militarized response by institutional leaders to these activities and vehemently oppose the politically motivated assault on higher education."

Alums, political landscape raised pressure on Columbia president

A few days ago, Shafik indicated she had no intention of bringing police back to respond to pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia. Doing so would be "counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” she wrote in a message signed by other school leaders.

But many alumni were clearly alarmed by what they were seeing, and so was New York City Mayor Eric Adams. By Tuesday night, the president had changed her mind. New York Police Department officers descended on campus en masse and for the second time arrested scores of protesters.

Shafik had to assess the political landscape, said Lincoln Mitchell, an adjunct associate professor of political science at Columbia. "If you get an alumni base angry, you’re done," he said.

? Zachary Schermele

Alumni pressure, crime-fighting mayor: Both helped set the stage for Columbia arrests

Police clear protesters from occupied library at Portland State

Portland State University's campus in Oregon was closed Thursday because of an "ongoing incident at library," the school said in a social media post, and at 10:17 a.m. the Portland Police Bureau announced it had cleared protesters who had occupied the facility since Monday.

"We have found caches of tools, what appears to be improvised weapons, ball bearings, paint balloons, spray bottles of ink, and DIY armor,'' the PPB said on the X platform. "None of this was used on police.'' The bureau said in another posting that 12 people were arrested, four of them Portland State students.

Earlier this week the school asked police to help remove dozens of protesters occupying the building. Last week the university paused seeking or accepting gifts or grants from Boeing pending a review of weapons sales to Israel.

Columbia faculty, students protest: Campus protests intensify

Almost half of NYC protesters arrested not affiliated with schools, reports say

Adams said in an interview Thursday with NPR that more than 40% of the 282 arrested Tuesday at Columbia and City College of New York protests were not affiliated with either school. An NYPD official told CNN the department was able to determine the breakdowns by cross-checking records with the schools.

Shayoni Mitra, a theater professor at Columbia-affiliated Barnard College who has been logging arrests and injuries, said all those arrested at Columbia had been released by 5 p.m. ET Thursday. The vast majority if not all were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing, she said. Those arrested at CCNY had also been released, protest organizer Nick Rodrigo said.

Body-cam footage released by the NYPD on Thursday shows police removing barricades of tied-up tables and chairs at Columbia's occupied Hamilton Hall, then breaking locks and chains to enter. At one point an officer says, "Let's deploy a flash bang,” followed by several booms. Officers then enter the area behind a protesters' barricade and find most of them sitting on the floor against a wall, their arms linked as a chant of "Free, free Palestine'' can be heard. The video ends as police begin pulling protesters apart.

? Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas

Protesters at NYU undeterred by arrests

Though law enforcement has removed demonstrators camping out at some universities across the city, encampments at schools including New York University persisted Thursday. Initially, the group established an encampment at a plaza near the business school, but after police arrested more than 100 people, the group relocated to a space next to the John A. Paulson Center, according to Ryna Workman, a third-year law student at NYU.

Workman said that as Black student having NYPD on campus and seeing her classmates and professors get arrested has been “jarring” and “a little traumatizing.” Still, she stressed students are not afraid of violence or further arrest and plan to continue to escalate.“It’s a scary thing, but at the end of the day I’m still going to be here for Palestine,” she said.

? N'dea Yancey-Bragg

At UCLA, first flash bangs, then the dismantling began

Hours before the move to dismantle the UCLA encampment at Dickson Plaza, officers in tactical gear began filing onto the campus as protesters chanted "Peaceful protest" and “We’re not leaving!” and “Who do you protect?” and "Where were you last night?"

Twice before the main push, officers attempted to gain ground inside the encampment in the early hours Thursday, only to be fended off by protesters, some holding umbrellas and homemade wooden shields.

Shortly after 4 a.m., officers started firing flash bangs into the sky above the protest every few seconds, as deafening bangs echoed. Police then dismantled the main barricade piece-by-piece before moving in as a unit and systematically driving students out of the plaza, arresting those who did not comply.

Some demonstrators tried to push back and shine bright lights at the officers, while others surrendered and were ushered away by police. A USA TODAY reporter witnessed one man gushing blood from a head wound who was rushed by protesters to the medic’s tent, where he was bandaged up before being helped away.

“The UCLA administration has decided to take an approach of criminalizing students who are here trying to talk about what’s going on in Gaza and to talk about Palestinians’ lives,” Graeme Blair, an associate professor of political science and member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, told USA TODAY. “If our mission is a teaching mission, I can’t understand why they would choose to take the actions they have over the last 48 hours.”

Hundreds face charges across nation but will charges stick?

Hundreds of U.S. college students arrested this week while protesting the war in Gaza face criminal charges amid encampments, building takeovers and civil unrest. But how those charges play out remains a key question. On Tuesday night, New York police arrested nearly 300 people at Columbia University and the City College of New York. A day earlier, clashes with protesters at the University of Texas in Austin resulted in 79 arrests. Tulane University said 14 protesters were arrested at an "illegal encampment" on the New Orleans campus.

And officers made at least 70 arrests late last week and over the weekend at Arizona State University. But scores of cases at other universities have already been dropped.

Richard Serafini, a South Florida criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, explained that with hundreds of arrests at a mass protest, prosecutors still “have to be able to have the evidence” against each individual.

“You can’t charge someone who just happened to be there,” he said.

? Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Asher Stockler

What are college protests across the US about?

The student protesters opposed to Israel's military attacks in Gaza say they want their schools to stop funneling endowment money to Israeli companies and other businesses, like weapons manufacturers, that profit from the war in Gaza. In addition to divestment, protesters are calling for a cease-fire, and student governments at some colleges have also passed resolutions in recent weeks calling for an end to academic partnerships with Israel. The protesters also want the U.S. to stop supplying funding and weapons to the war effort.

More recently, amnesty for students and professors involved in the protests has become an issue. Protesters want protections amid threats of disciplinary action and termination for those participating in demonstrations that may violate campus policy or local laws.

? Claire Thornton

Campus protests across the US: Hundreds were arrested. But will the charges stick?

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Instigators, agitators behind violence, schools say: Protest updates