Antisemitism on campus surges as agitators take over

Jill Stein, 2024 Green Party presidential candidate, center, speaks with demonstrators during the March on Washington for Gaza rally in Washington, DC, on Jan. 13, 2024. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Green Party 2024 presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein was among 100 people arrested Saturday at Washington University in St. Louis, her campaign manager confirmed to Fox News Digital by email on Sunday morning.

Stein's campaign manager, Jason Call, said that he, Stein and deputy campaign manager Kelly Merrill-Cayer were all arrested at the encampent on the campus.

"The demand from the encampment was specifically for the university to divest from Boeing, which manufactures munitions used in the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza at their nearby St Charles facility," Call said to Fox News Digital. "The Stein campaign supports the demands of the students and their peaceful protest and assembly on campus. Student protest for peace and civil liberties has always represented the best part of our collective moral conscience. Solidarity."

Here's a video of her detainment that she tweeted Saturday evening.

More than 100 people were arrested at the Washington University anti-Israel protest on Saturday, which is one of many demonstrations taking place this week at college campuses across the country.

USC has closed its campus to non-residents and cancelled on-stage graduations, more than 100 were arrested this week at Columbia University and dozens were arrested at the University of Texas on Wednesday. Demonstrations and protests have also taken place at Yale, Harvard, Minnesota, Johns Hopkins and Arizona State University, where 93 people were arrested on Saturday morning.

A woman is shown protecting the Tommy Trojan statue from getting further defaced on Saturday at the University of Southern California campus.

One anti-Israel protester had begun spray painting the statue with the letters "Say No To Genoci" before another person stepped in to stop them. The protester ran around the statue and managed to spray a red "d" on the end of it before running away from the protector.

The campus has been one hub of anti-Israel protesters ever since the school banned a pro-Palestinian valedictorian from delivering the commencement speech, and after unrests and arrests at Ivy League schools like Columbia and Yale, and the University of Texas flagship campus in Austin.

There have been around 500 reported arrests around the country this week, including 93 Wednesday morning at USC and 73 at Arizona State University on Saturday morning.

People are urged to avoid the University Park Campus

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a Citywide Tactical Alert on Saturday in the area of the University Park Campus at USC.

"Due to a disruption at the center of UPC, please avoid that part area until further notice," LAPD stated. "People are urged to avoid the University Park Campus. As of 7:30 p.m., no arrests or injuries had been reported."

Prior to that, USC tweeted that its UPC campus was closed Saturday to everyone except residents as tensions begin rising again.

"Due to a disturbance, the University Park Campus is temporarily closed except for residents," the university stated.

It's unclear why the citywide tactical alert was issued.

Fox 11 in Los Angeles contributed to this update.

A USC graduate walks with her gown while having her portrait made in Alumni Park on the USC campus in Los Angeles on April 27, 2024. The marquee 65,000-attendee "main stage" commencement ceremony that, traditionally is held in Alumni Park, has been called off due to all the protest over students calling for the end of the war in Gaza and divestment in Israel. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The University of Southern California tweeted Saturday night that its University Park Campus (UPC) was closed to everyone except residents as tensions begin rising again.

"Due to a disturbance, the University Park Campus is temporarily closed except for residents," the university stated.

The university early in the week canceled its ‘main stage’ commencement after anti-Israel demonstrations.

“We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band,” the university said in a statement Thursday.

More than 70 people were arrested Tuesday night because of "trespassing" and not leaving the private university during anti-Israel protests.

USC President Carol Folt called events on campus this week heartbreaking.

"This week, Alumni Park became unsafe," Folt said Friday to the USC community. "No one wants to have people arrested on their campus. Ever. But, when long-standing safety policies are flagrantly violated, buildings vandalized, (Department of Public Safety) directives repeatedly ignored, threatening language shouted, people assaulted, and access to critical academic buildings blocked, we must act immediately to protect our community.

"USC has long-standing protocols that allow for peaceful protesting, and we have been working successfully with our community to ensure these rules have been followed at gatherings, protests, and vigils taking place all year. USC also has firm rules regarding harassment and bullying that we will uphold."

Fox 11 in Los Angeles contributed to this update.

Demonstrators hang a Palestinian flag from the Hilton building as they gather to protest the attacks in Gaza and show support for Palestinians by chanting slogans outside the Washington Hilton, the site of the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C., United States on April 27, 2024. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A group of anti-Israel protesters booked a room at the Washington Hilton and flew a giant Palestinian flag from its windows, pictures show.

The Hilton was hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the same time as the massive anti-Israel protest. Code Pink, a left-wing activist group that organized the protest, accuses American media of "endors[ing]" the White House's support of Israel.

"The White House Correspondents' Dinner, traditionally a symbol of journalistic integrity and freedom, has now become a platform that celebrates and endorses the administration's actions," Code Pink said on its website. "The United States media perpetuates anti-Palestinian narratives and ignores Israeli war crimes."

"The Correspondents' Dinner is nothing more than a celebration and endorsement of the administration's actions. That is not journalism. That is complicity."

Anti-Israel agitators marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., on Saturday to protest American support of the Israeli military, taking aim at press and media members attending the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Code Pink, a left-wing activist group, organized a protest through Kalorama Park to the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held Saturday night.

On its website, the organization accuses the media of "endors[ing]" the White House's support of Israel.

"The White House Correspondents' Dinner, traditionally a symbol of journalistic integrity and freedom, has now become a platform that celebrates and endorses the administration's actions," Code Pink argues on its website.

Read the full article about the White House Correspondents' Dinner by Andrea Vacchiano

Linda Sarsour, a political activist best known for her work during the 2017 Women's March, spoke at an anti-Israel rally at Princeton University on Saturday.

Sarsour, who is Palestinian-American, applauded the crowd for gathering in protest of the Israeli military, which is actively waging a war against Hamas militants.

"Here you are today, my dreams manifested," the activist said to the crowd. "They're going to tell you that you are wrong. They're going to say a whole lot of things about you."

In a video posted to social media, Sarsour also likened the crowd to Vietnam War protesters during her speech.

"I came to remind you that the same things that they will say about you now, they said about the students who stood up against the Vietnam War," she said. "They said the same thing about the students that stood up to South African apartheid. So you are not doing anything brand new."

"You stand in a long history of freedom and liberation for all people, including the Palestinian people."

Sarsour also defended the use of the divisive "From the river to the sea" chant while addressing the crowd.

"We've had people spending hours of national television writing two thousand words about 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' That's just an indication for you to keep saying it," she said.

A Jewish Princeton University freshman recounted the virulent antisemitism he witnessed on the Ivy League campus at an anti-Israel protest encampment this week.

Maximillian Meyer of New York told Fox News Digital that protesters flew Hezbollah flags and chanted in support of Hamas as the wave of anti-Israel activism that continues to wash over some of America's top institutions came to Princeton — placing Jewish students in fear of attending classes and engaging in regular student life. 

"The craziest thing to me is the fact that I saw the Hezbollah flag multiple times, and I wasn't even shocked," Meyer said in an interview. "And I thought that that is more emblematic of the moral rot that has taken hold on our college campuses — of our so-called elite college campuses — than anything else. The fact that not only do we have Hezbollah flags, not only are there chants supporting the Houthis, chants supporting Hamas, but that we're not even surprised. It has become ubiquitous. And that is devastating."

Read the full article about Princeton University by Chris Pandolfo and Haley Chi-Sing

Two young women recently joined Fox News Channel on Saturday afternoon to discuss the destructive anti-Israel protests at universities across the United States.

George Washington University student Sabrina Soffer and recent Wake Forest graduate Yasmine Lame both criticized agitators for threatening Jewish students.

"As a Jewish student today at George Washington University, I'm really appalled by what's going on," Soffer said. "But I'm honestly not surprised, and Jewish students are not safe, and they haven't been."

The current college student blamed the left-wing faculty for the radicalization of GWU students.

"This has been in the making as a result of a combination of radical faculty who have been hired by the university and allowed to teach with no diversity in that camp of faculty, in addition to a weak administration that refuses to enforce their policies," she added.

Lame told Fox News that, at a rally, one her Jewish friends at UCLA was pushed off a ledge and nearly cracked her skull open.

"I do think that there needs to be a crackdown on this chaos that's going on on campus, because ultimately, by refusing to crack down, it's just allowing this sort of mob rule to take over," she said. "Allowing the claim that this is freedom of expression, which is not because freedom to protest, which I am all for, is actually leading to the harassment of Jewish students."

Protesters seen demonstrating in support of Palestine at Arizona State University. (Source: FOX 10 Phoenix)

Police arrested 69 anti-Israel protesters at Arizona State University (ASU) early Saturday morning over their "unauthorized encampment," according to a new press release.

"ASU Police arrested 69 people early Saturday for trespassing after they set up an unauthorized encampment, in violation of university policy," a statement from police read. "Encampments are prohibited on Arizona State University property. Lawful demonstrations can take place except overnight between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m."

Authorities also added that most of the demonstrators had no connection to the university itself, and were warned "multiple times" before arrests were made.

"A group of people – most of whom were not ASU students, faculty or staff – created an encampment and demonstration that continued until 11 p.m. when the group was instructed multiple times to disperse," the statement added. "Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass."

"While the university will continue to be an environment that embraces freedom of speech, ASU’s first priority is to create a safe and secure environment that supports teaching and learning." 

University of Southern California student Morgan Farrier joined "Fox & Friends" on Saturday to discuss her school's decision to cancel its commencement ceremony because of the anti-Israel protests.

Farrier, a correspondent for Campus Reform, a conservative website that covers higher education, said the university could have done more to make sure the students who paid tuition were able to have a normal graduation ceremony.

"That's the saddest part. They do have a $7.3 billion endowment, and so there were certainly things that they could do and resources that they could pull that could have prevented this from getting to this situation," Farrier said. 

USC announced Thursday that it was canceling its main stage commencement ceremony for 2024 graduates as anti-Israel protests have shut down its campus. 

"With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially. As a result, we will not be able to host the main stage ceremony that traditionally brings 65,000 students, families, and friends to our campus all at the same time and during a short window from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.," USC stated on its website.

Farrier acknowledged there are "logistical issues" with having to reorganize commencement in just two weeks, but insisted it should be the students' choice whether they wait in long lines for security to attend the main commencement. 

"I think commencement is an important thing for a lot of students, that's the sort of thing you should be willing to put some of your resources into," she said. 

Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update.

The George Washington University Law School has relocated final exams because of the encampment set up at University Yard.

Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew announced steps to ensure exams were held in a "quiet and secure location" on Thursday as anti-Israel protesters disrupted normal operations at the school. 

"Now let me emphasize, there is nothing threatening your safety that is going on at this moment, but yet you our primary concern. To protect your safety and the integrity of our academic program, we are relocating student final exams," Matthew said in a video message. 

Protesters were seen blocking off half of University Yard with tents on Saturday morning. There was a police presence and about a dozen protesters shortly before 11 a.m.

Officials have installed barricades that divided the Yard and confined the encampment to its northern half, separating the protesters from Lisner and Bell Halls, as well as GW Law. 

An official said students will still have access to the bathrooms in Corcoran Hall. Protesters placed their tents flush against the barricade. 

Fox News' Leah Crawley contributed to this update.

Columbia University students organizing an anti-Israel encampment on campus told the Associated Press there was no progress in negotiations with the school's administration on Friday.

A deadline for the student protesters to dismantle their encampment came and went, but the tents remain up. Student activists say the school has not met their demands to divest from Israel, end policing on campus and release a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, among other demands.

“We will not rest until Columbia divests,” said Jonathan Ben-Menachem, a fourth-year doctoral student.

Columbia officials earlier had said that talks were showing progress. 

“We have our demands; they have theirs,” university spokesperson Ben Chang said, adding that if the talks fail, Columbia will have to consider other options.

But while negotiations are at an impasse, Columbia President Minouche Shafik faces calls from faculty members for an investigation into her leadership.

The Columbia University Senate voted 62-14 for a resolution that alleges Shafik, who has been on the job less than a year, violated established protocols when she authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus and arrest protesters last week.

Specifically, Shafik is accused of violating the due process rights of students and faculty when she authorized officers to enter the campus.

"The administration and Senate share the same goal of restoring calm to campus, so everyone can pursue their educational activities," the university said. "We are committed to an ongoing dialogue and appreciate the Senate’s constructive engagement in finding a pathway forward."

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this update.

The University of Texas at Austin has suspended its Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) chapter for its involvement in the anti-Israel protests on campus this week.

The PSC said in an Instagram post that the suspension was an "attack on free speech" and accused school President Jay Hartzell and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of authorizing police to "violently attack and arrest protesters on campus." 

"We recognize UT’s intimidation tactics for what they are: our suspension is the latest instance of a pattern of censorship. UT’s repression of our free speech reinforces a racist narrative that devalues Palestinian life," the PSC said. 

On Wednesday, Hartzell released a statement that unequivocally defended his decision to shut down an anti-Israel protest on campus, where more than 30 people were arrested.

"Our rules matter and they will be enforced," he said in a lengthy statement that recognized that there was "a lot of emotion surrounding these events."

"This has been a challenging day for many," Hartzell wrote in a statement addressed to the UT-Austin community. "We have witnessed much activity we normally do not experience on our campus, and there is understandably a lot of emotion surrounding these events."

"Today, our University held firm, enforcing our rules while protecting the Constitutional right to free speech. Peaceful protests within our rules are acceptable. Breaking our rules and policies and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed. The group that led this protest stated it was going to violate Institutional Rules. Our rules matter, and they will be enforced. Our University will not be occupied," the president added.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this update.

Workers remove a Palestinian flag on Boylston Place at Emerson College. Boston police forcibly removed a pro-Boston police forcibly removed a pro-Palestinian tent encampment from a walkway next to Emerson College overnight, arresting more than 100 protesters in a chaotic scene, according to officials and social media postings. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Emerson College Student Government Association has voted no confidence in President Jay Bernhardt following the arrest of more than 100 anti-Israel protesters on campus.

The Emerson SGA said Friday the closed-door vote was unanimous and released a resolution calling for the immediate resignation of the school's president. The resolution condemned "violence administered by Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police against the protesters" and accused Bernhardt of failing to acknowledge and condemn said violence, local news station 10 Boston reported. 

The vote came after 118 people were arrested at the anti-Israel encampment at Boylston Place Alley on Tuesday.

The Emerson College Board of Trustees released a statement defending Bernhardt after the vote.

"At a time when freedom of speech and higher education itself are besieged by outside forces, the Emerson College Board of Trustees encourages our community to come together. The differences we may have today within Emerson are shades of a shared vision for civil dialogue, peaceful protest, and respect for human diversity. We chose Jay Bernhardt as a transformational leader who could bring us together in difficult times. The board remains confident in President Bernhardt’s leadership and unequivocally supports his presidency." 

Protesters in downtown Boston gather in support of those camp in Harvard Yard for Israeli attack on Gaza, on April 25, 2024 at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. (Photo by Anibal Martel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Police officers in riot gear worked early Saturday morning to clear an anti-Israel encampment at Northeastern University in Boston, where about 100 protesters had gathered.

State Police and campus officers encountered the demonstrators on Centennial Quad at around 5:30 a.m. and warned them to leave the area, the Boston Globe reported. Soon after, police reportedly set up metal blockades around the encampment to prevent people from entering. 

Local news media coverage showed several protesters being escorted away with their arms held behind their backs. It is unclear how many people were arrested.

Michael Armini, Northeastern’s senior vice president of external affairs. told the Boston Globe that administration officials had "tried to talk to students several times" since the encampment was set up on Thursday but were unsuccessful.

A university spokesperson told Boston 25 News the encampment is a violation of the school's Code of Student Conduct. 

On Thursday, the University's Dean of Students Chong Kim-Wong visited the protest with a megaphone and warned participants that anyone found to be without a Northeastern student ID would be asked to leave campus.

PDYU salutes the student uprising in American universities and calls on international and Arab student forces to take action in various universities in support of Gaza and to reject the continuation of the aggression and massacres.

The General Secretariat of the Palestinian Democratic Youth Union “PDYU” praised the anti-Israel uprising at American universities and called upon international and Arab student forces to increase their actions not only in the U.S., but around the world.

The organization released a statement on the social media outlet Telegram on Saturday morning.

"PDYU salutes the student masses who rose up a few days ago in the universities of the United States of America, and whose uprising and revolution was sparked by the Gaza Solidarity Camp at Columbia University in New York, to declare a bold, courageous, and heroic moral, humane, and political student position denouncing American policy," they wrote.

"The escalation of the student uprising and its arrival at dozens of universities in the United States of America and its expansion to a number of universities in some European and Western countries confirms the awareness of the new generations, their defense of human values, their adoption of the Palestinian narrative, the rights of the Palestinian people and the justice of their cause, and their understanding of the truth and the Palestinian tragedy for which the imperialist countries sponsoring the occupation bear responsibility."

The anti-Israel movement in the U.S. reached its height this week when a student encampment overtook a lawn at Columbia University, an Ivy League school in New York City. There were more than 100 arrests at the campus on Tuesday.

The movement spread to NYU, Yale, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, Arizona State University and the University of Texas, among many others. Police around the country later in the week have been able to curb the demonstrations, with arrests taking place with little to no injuries.

On Wednesday, there were more than 100 arrests collectively between USC and UT-Austin protesters. In Austin, about two-thirds of the protesters were released with charges getting dropped.

Most of the arrest charges nationwide have been for trespassing.

Police can be seen breaking down camps at Arizona State University early Saturday morning and tossing material into the back of a large truck.

Law enforcement earlier ordered all anti-Israel protesters to leave the Tempe campus or they would be arrested. There are reports of a few arrests already.

One reporter said that some of those helping clear the camp areas are counter protesters, but Fox News Digital could not confirm that.

Police confronted anti-Israel protesters on the campus of Arizona State University late Friday night, with arrests already taking place. ASU is one of the nation's most-populated college campuses with more than 74,000 students.

As protests broiled into midnight on the campus in Tempe, police arrived to calm and disperse them. A tweeted video shows two law enforcement personnel sending a message through a loud speaker.

"In the name of the State of Arizona, I declare this gathering to be a violation of ars 13-1502 a1 of criminal trespassing, and I command you to leave the property immediately," the words through the speaker resonated while protesters got louder. "Those who do not immediately leave will be arrested."

Protesters could be heard in the distance yelling, "Free Palestine." Meanwhile, police ordered protesters to move toward a certain avenue to vacate the property.

Other tweets show police carrying away protesters who have their hands bound behind their backs. Early reports indicate about a half dozen protesters were detained.

Once upon a time, this week, the NYPD had riot police and counterterrorism officers on Columbia University's campus. There were fears by anti-Israel protesters that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul would even call in the state's National Guard as protests grew more intense by the day.

Three days later, and just two days after NYPD finally pulled away from campus, Columbia officials said they no longer intend to need the services of NYPD.

“We called on NYPD to clear an encampment once, but we all share the view, based on discussions within our community and with outside experts, that to bring back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” University President Minouche Shafik, board of trustees co-chairs Claire Shipman and David Greenwald, and University Provost Angela Olinto co-wrote in a Friday email.

“Chants, signs, taunts, and social media posts from our own students that mock and threaten to ‘kill’ Jewish people are totally unacceptable, and Columbia students who are involved in such incidents will be held accountable,” the email continued. “We can report that one individual whose vile videos have surfaced in recent days is now banned from campus.”

Protesters began occupying campus with tents on April 17, and the pressure point hit early this week when more than 100 of them were arrested. Columbia set a deadline of midnight Tuesday for protesters to clear the area, but it was eventually pushed back 48 hours while administrators negotiated with protest leaders.

Anti-Israel protests soon spread to campuses throughout the country, from Boston to Texas and California.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry tweeted what many campus administrators have already stated, but he made it his own Friday evening.

"What may have started as a group of Columbia [University] students wanting to express their constitutional right to protest has drawn crowds of outside agitators who are trying to hijack a peaceful protest and turn it something far more sinister," Daughtry tweeted.

"The NYPD sees these same groups of professional protestors nightly at various demonstrations regardless of the message; sometimes switching sides depending on the week. Those same outside agitators continue to spew hate and antisemitism."

Daughtry said the NYPD will continue supporting peaceful protests, but that the department also stands ready to "address what’s happening at Columbia University as soon as the university president allows us on their private property."

More than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University during anti-Israel protests earlier this week. Protesters set up encampments on the campus lawn and reportedly harassed Jewish students.

The Columbia protests set off a firestorm of demonstrations across the country, from the Ivy league schools on the East Coast all the way to USC on the West Coast, and schools like Texas and Minnesota in between.

A student at Columbia University, Khymani James, apologized after he went viral online for calling Zionists "White supremacists" and "Nazis." (Getty Images)

The Columbia University student who discussed "murdering Zionists" has been "banned from campus" Friday, according to a university spokesperson.

Junior Khymani James expressed "regret" early Friday after he went viral online for previously suggesting people should be "grateful" he wasn't "murdering Zionists," whom he likened to "White supremacists" and "Nazis."

Without explicitly mentioning what they were, James copped to inflammatory comments that were first reported by The Daily Wire, during a livestream of an official Columbia inquiry in January.

"I actually kind of hope they do kick me out because I've been meaning to travel to South America," James said of whether he would remain on as a student at Columbia during the livestream.

University sources told Fox News Digital disciplinary proceedings are now underway.

Click here to read more.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Alexa Moutevelis.

A truck with a sign parked at the George Washington University campus on Friday, displaying anti-Israel messages.

The GW Hatchet, a student paper at the university, reported the truck parked on campus by the Lisner Auditorium, near 21st and H streets.

Some of the slogans the truck displayed include “Genocide Joe, how many kids have you starved today,” as well as “Ceasefire Now.”

The sign also displayed, “Disclose, Divest,” and “Protest Palestinian Students.”

The publication also reported the sign on the truck showed images of children who were killed in Gaza, like 10-year-old Yazan Kafarneh, who died in March of starvation.

Activists and students protest on the outskirts of an encampment protest at the University Yard at George Washington University on April 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. The activists have joined a range of campuses across the United States that have star (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

George Washington University officials confirmed Friday that several outsiders joined protests at the school’s campus this week.

On Thursday, anti-Israel protesters set up an encampment on the University Yard, which officials say violated numerous university policies, including unauthorized use of a reserved space and failing to comply with administrative directions. The University Lawn was being held for GW Law finals, officials said.

Campus police advised the protesters early Thursday that they needed to leave the University Yard  and go to another protest site provided by the school, where they could peacefully protest until 7 p.m.

But protesters failed to relocate, despite being told to leave several times. As a result, campus police requested assistance from the DC Metropolitan Police, to ensure the safety and security of all community members.

The majority of the crowd left, though some of the students remained. The remaining protesters were told at 12:30 p.m. on Friday that they were in violation of several university policies, including trespassing.

The protesters were also told that any student remaining in the University Yard may be placed on temporary suspension and “administratively barred from campus.”

School officials said several students have been notified of their suspensions.

In addition to students, the officials said there were several non-affiliated individuals, or outsiders, who joined the protest. The university has since taken steps to prevent these individuals from accessing the University Yard. The school was also aware of offensive signs, which GW officials said they do not believe was being held by anyone associated with the university. 

Columbia University President Nemat Shafik testifies before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on "Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University's Response to Antisemitism" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Columbia University Senate voted in favor of a resolution calling for an investigation into the school’s leadership, amid anti-Israel protests that have taken place for over a week at the campus.

A source within the school’s leadership confirmed the details of the resolution, saying it was adopted by a vote of 62-14, with three senate members abstaining.

The resolution alleges President Minouche Shafik violated established protocols when she authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus and arrest protesters last week.

Specifically, Shafik is accused of violating the due process rights of students and faculty when she authorized officers to enter the campus.

The University Senate does not have the authority to remove Shafik, as it is the University’s policy making body, which is made up of students, faculty and administrators.

“The administration and Senate share the same goal of restoring calm to campus so everyone can pursue their educational activities,” the University said. “We are committed to an ongoing dialogue and appreciate the Senate’s constructive engagement in finding a pathway forward.”

Fox News Channel's CB Cotton contributed to this report.

Cal Poly Humboldt campus (Google Maps)

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt announced Friday that it will close its campus through May 10 due to the occupation of Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East.

“The occupation of Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East is causing ongoing inability to open other campus facilities,” a statement from the university read. “Since Monday night, protestors have attempted several times to break into multiple locked buildings with the intention of either locking themselves in, vandalizing, or stealing equipment. Vandalism and theft have continued across campus.”

Officials said the campus will be closed through May 10, and work and academic instruction will take place remotely.

Anti-Israel protesters provided university officials with a list of demands including the disclosure of all holdings and collaborations with Israel; cutting all ties with Israeli universities; divesting from companies and corporations complicit in the occupation of Palestine; and dropping all charges against, and halting the harassment of student organizers by law enforcement.

Officials responded to the demands in a letter, keeping the door open to further discussions.

Officials also said their policy is “content-neutral” when it comes to speech and assembly, while also ensuring the rights of the rest of the campus community to a safe and secure environment are protected. 

Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., left, and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., introduced legislation on April 26, 2024, which would require universities to combat antisemitism or face losing federal funding. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Two congressional lawmakers from different sides of the aisle, both of whom represent New York, are introducing legislation in response to antisemitic protests that have created a hostile environment for Jewish students at Columbia University, putting their safety and well-being at risk.

Reps. Mike Lawler, a Republican, and Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, announced the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act on Friday, which, if passed, would give the U.S. Department of Education the power to impose a third-party antisemitism monitor to colleges receiving federal funding.

"Rising antisemitism on our college campuses is a major concern, and we must act to ensure the safety of students," Lawler said. "If colleges will not step up to protect their students, Congress must act."

If passed, colleges and universities that fail to comply with the monitorship would face losing federal funding.

Click here to read more.

Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, wrote a letter to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik on Friday, April 26, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Dani Dayan, the chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, wrote a letter to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik on Friday, April 26, to warn her about potential consequences should the anti-Israeli sentiment continue to foster and grow.

"Heidelberg University in Germany was not less prestigious than Columbia," Dayan wrote. "In the 1920s it was a center of liberal thinking. A decade later a mob of Heidelberg students burned Jewish and other 'corrupt' books in Universitätsplatz (‘University Square’). Its faculty developed pseudo-academic fields like race theory, eugenics and forced euthanasia. Heidelberg did have administrators. Unfortunately, it lacked moral leadership."

He added: "The Jewish People was dispersed for two millennia, subject to persecutions, forced conversions, discrimination, pogroms and finally the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust. We returned to our ancestral homeland. Pursuing the destruction and erasure of the Jewish State is not less abominable than racial laws. Will Columbia be remembered as Heidelberg? To a very large extent, it is up to you, Madam."

Click here to read more.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Lawrence Richard.

Hungarian-born U.S. investor and Democrat donor George Soros wrote an op-ed in 2007 slamming the U.S. and Israel for not recognizing Hamas' election in Palestine. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Progressive anti-Israel agitators across the country, including those who mobilized at New York City’s Columbia University, are associated with groups tied to far-left groups with radical associations backed by dark money and liberal mega-donor George Soros.

National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), a national organization affiliated with around 200 independent chapters, has had a vocal presence at Columbia University in recent days and at one point said it had walked away from talks with school leaders until administrators pledge not to have them arrested or forcefully removed from their encampment on the Ivy League institution's West Lawn.

NSJP operates under Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation (WESPAC), a fiscal sponsor, whom Fox News Digital previously reported received a six-figure donation from a nonprofit bankrolled by the Soros network. WESPAC, whose funding is largely unknown, has espoused anti-Israel rhetoric for years, including accusing the government of "apartheid," "ethnic cleansing," "collective punishment" and "war crimes," according to NGO Monitor.

Click here to read more.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller.

Steve Garvey says he'd call for a hearing if elected to the Senate for Ivy League presidents to testify about failures to protect students amid anti-Israel unrest across the nation. (Getty)

Former MLB star and U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey said if elected, he'd push for Ivy League colleges and universities to appear before Congress to testify about their failure to protect their Jewish students.

"At this time, next year, as a sitting U.S. senator, I would call to have committees that will talk to these presidents and leadership and ask why they haven't protected their students," the California Republican told Fox News Digital in an interview. "And if they can't protect them, let's talk about affecting them with federal funds and start to take back the federal funds.

"If you're not going to protect these Americans that are on your campus, then you're going to have to make a decision on what's important to you."

Garvey said the demonstrators on college campuses should be arrested and prosecuted "to the full extent of the law," adding the protests are "terrorism under the guise of free speech."

Click here to read more.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Jamie Joseph.

Activists and students protest on the outskirts of an encampment protest at the University Yard at George Washington University on April 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. The activists have joined a range of campuses across the United States that have star (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Florida's flagship university is making it clear that the disruptive anti-Israel protests occurring at colleges across the U.S. will not be tolerated on its campuses.

The University of Florida released a directive Friday spelling out what is and is not acceptable behavior for those who wish to express their right to free speech at the school, along with the consequences for students or employees who cross the line.

The memo obtained by FOX Business clarifies that demonstrators may engage in speech, expressing viewpoints and holding signs in their hands, but lists a litany of prohibited activities including "amplified sound," holding protests inside campus buildings, issuing threats or engaging in violence.

The University of Florida also noted explicitly that no tents or sleeping bags are allowed as part of demonstrations on campus, serving as a warning to activists who might want to set up a similar encampment to those that have cropped up at other schools since anti-Israel demonstrators set one up at Columbia University more than a week ago.

Click here to read more.

This is an excerpt from an article by Breck Dumas of Fox Business.

A protestor yells as he is loaded into a police van after being arrested during an anti-Israel demonstration at Emory University on April 25, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images)

Anti-Israel Protesters at Emory University said they have delivered a list of demands, including the removal of police agencies, to the president of the school.

A group of about 50 protesters marched across the university quad on Friday afternoon before gathering on the steps of the school’s administration building, demanding entry.

The activists held signs reading, “Emory Admin: opposing genocide,” and “Faculty and staff for justice in Palestine,” while they stood on the steps.

The leader of the group said Emory let the Atlanta Police Department onto the campus, adding, shame on them.

The leader also said they will not stand for a university that does not protect its students. In its list to the administration, the group  demanded protesters be released from jail.

They also demanded all police agencies be ordered off campus and not invited back, while also granting amnesty to student protesters. A brief time later, the protesters resumed marching and said their letter was delivered to the Emory University president.

The protesters dispersed back to the quad, and according to the leader, they are allowed to remain in the quad until midnight. The leader also said there will not be any police presence until then.

‘Squad’ Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., were seen on Friday mingling with anti-Israel agitators at Columbia University. (Getty Images)

New York Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, both members of the informal House group, "The Squad," were seen Friday mingling with anti-Israel agitators at Columbia University, where "support" was offered to those in the encampment established to protest the Israeli military's actions in Gaza.

In one video shared on social media, a smiling Ocasio-Cortez is shown speaking with those inside the encampment and offering her "support" for those who have become engaged in the protest.

Photographs of Bowman also circulated on social media, showing the cheerful New York Democrat listening to those who were taking part in the encampment protest. His appearance at the school came after he reportedly attended a Thursday evening Biden campaign fundraiser in Westchester County, where he was recognized for his attendance by the president.

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This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Kyle Morris.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell (Credit Getty Images)

New York City Police Department Chief John Chell told “entitled hateful students,” as well as  faculty and teachers at Columbia University and New York University who traded their educational license for a “license of hate,” to pack their belongings and get out: “You’re Fired.” 

“The pure hate, antisemitism, and overall vile language I have witnessed recently is simply disgusting. I could not begin to even know how this makes a person feel, a family or a friend,” Chell said. “Hate has no place in our society from anyone! It should be condemned by all immediately.”

He also said NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD is committed to protecting everyone from hate.

“Trust me, if we could throw handcuffs on anyone who peddled in this – we would do this every day. End of story,” Chell said.

But, as he explained, there is only so much the police department can control. In the case of Columbia University and New York University, it is up to the institutions to stand up and enforce their own rules, the chief said.

“Actions have consequences,” he said. “No more suspensions, let’s try expulsion of these entitled hateful students. Pack your belongings and get out! Let’s remove faculty and staff who have replaced their educational licenses for a license of hate – [You’re] fired!

“Your frustration and despair should not be directed toward the City of New York. We did not shut down your identification and deny your entry,” Chell added. “We don’t govern private property nor school rules while being bound by free speech. The Mayor, Police Commissioner and the NYPD will never relent in the pursuit of public safety and, here and now,  protecting our Jewish community.”

A picture of one of the suspects (NYPD)

Police say they are searching for three suspects who brazenly targeted a man carrying an Israeli flag in an antisemitic attack at Columbia University on Saturday. 

The victim, 22, was walking in the vicinity of Amsterdam Avenue and West 116 Street -- at the east side of the campus -- just before 10 p.m. when an unidentified male approached him and swiped his flag. 

The victim chased after the perpetrator who ran into a crowd of people before a separate unknown individual threw a rock at the victim, striking him in the face, according to police.

An additional unknown individual then grabbed the flag and set it on fire. 

The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention.

One of the suspects is described as a male with a light complexion who is between 20 to 30 years of age. He was last seen wearing a black and yellow jacket, a black hooded sweatshirt, a black pants and white sneakers.

The incident is being investigated by the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force. 

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

Anti-Israel protesters set up encampment at Arizona State University Friday. (KSAZ)

A group of anti-Israel agitators set up tents at Arizona State University Friday, and several people have reportedly been taken into custody.

Video taken by ABC 15 showed protesters surrounding officers who appeared to be handcuffing a man.

Arizona State University said anyone setting up unauthorized encampments will be ordered to "dismantle them immediately."

"Failure to comply may result in being trespassed from campus and possible arrest," the university told Fox 10 Phoenix. "We prioritize the safety and well-being of the campus community and uphold policies to ensure a welcoming environment for everyone."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., departs the Columbia University campus after visiting an anti-Israel encampment, in New York City. Reuters/Mike Segar

Democratic “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y, visited Columbia University Friday in a sign of support with the anti-Israel supporters who continue to occupy a green space on the campus in violation of university rules. 

Sporting a baseball cap, Ocasio-Cortez was seen smiling and shaking hands with demonstrators inside the tent encampment, know as the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment."

Fellow squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., was also seen meeting students at the campus site Friday. 

The visits come just a day after Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., visited the encampment with her daughter Isra Hirsi who was arrested at the campus last week. Photos from the duo's appearance on Columbia's campus showed a smiling Omar standing alongside her daughter as they interacted with other people who were participating in the demonstration's efforts on campus.

Bowman, last week claimed that the arrest of Hirsi was political payback for the congresswoman’s probing of the institution’s leadership the day before. Bowman said Omar had questioned Columbia leadership’s commitment to "free academic expression" during a fiery congressional hearing and the following day her daughter was arrested. 

The encampment and subsequent arrests there have triggered similar protests on college campuses throughout the country.

Anti-Israel demonstrators were seen protesting President Biden's motorcade

A small group of anti-Israel demonstrators were seen protesting President Biden's motorcade as it made its way to a fundraiser hosted by actor Michael Douglas on Thursday.

The protesters were seen holding a large sign reading, "let Gaza live, ceasefire now"

One demonstrator held a sign with the words "Genocide Joe" while another sign read "People power not money power will win the election."

The fundraiser was held in the backyard of Douglas' riverfront home in Westchester, New York, where about 100 people sat under a tent to listen to both Douglas and Biden speak, the New York Post reports.

During the event, Biden suffered yet another gaffe as he mixed up the date of the Jan. 6 riots

Former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on Friday ripped anti-Israeli protesters who are demonstrating at college campuses throughout the nation. 

Speaking on “America’s Newsroom" Sandberg said that some of those taking part in the protests are participating in hateful acts which do not constitute free speech. 

“What's going on [in] our university campuses is really not okay,” said Sandberg, the founder of "Lean In" and former chief operating officer of Facebook. 

“I'm a big believer in free speech… university is a time when you go to college. You can talk about any issue, open dialog.” 

“But when you see students yelling at the Columbia campus to a Jewish student, ‘Go back to Poland.’ When you see someone saying October 7th is going to happen to you. You had someone on your show who got her eye almost poked out at Yale, that's not okay.” 

“And the truth is, the disorder on campus, having places where people don't feel safe, that doesn't lend itself to real dialog about hard issues, that stops the honest conversations we need to have. College campuses need to keep our kids safe.” 

Sandberg was discussing her new documentary called “Screams Before Silence,” which details the harrowing accounts of victims and first responders during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks where acts of rape and other sexual violence were committed against Jewish women. 

Sandberg said that anyone who watches her documentary would come to the conclusion that sexual assault was part of the terrorists’ plan and that sexual violence is a tool of war. 

“I think the world needs to see and acknowledge what happened here,” Sandberg said. 

Sandberg said that her documentary and her plight to raise awareness about the sexual violence of the Hamas attacks are the most significant projects of her career. 

“This has become the most important work of my life because, in this moment, we lose too much if we turn a blind eye to sexual violence and to the threat that this poses,” Sandberg said. 

“The terrorists here aren't subtle, they say ‘we're coming back,’ that ‘October 7th was just the beginning.’ They don't just say ‘death to Israel,’ they say ‘death to America.’”  

“This is a threat to our democracy and our way of life and people need to see clearly what happened and I think sexual violence really brings that home.” 

Sandberg has been attempting to highlight the brutality of the Oct. 7 attacks since they occurred. 

At an event hosted by Israel at the United Nations headquarters In December, Sandberg called out women’s organizations for being silent on the issue—with Sandberg saying, "Silence is complicity." 

“The sad truth is, almost all of the victims of this sexual violence are dead, they are gone,” Sandberg said Friday.

 “We have just a few people who are alive to tell their story, but we have first responders telling the story.”

A student at Columbia University, Khymani James, apologized after he went viral online for calling Zionists "White supremacists" and "Nazis." (Getty Images)

One of the student faces of far-left, anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, Khymani James, expressed "regret" Friday after he went viral online for previously suggesting the murder of Zionists, whom he likened to "White supremacists" and "Nazis.

Without explicitly mentioning what they were, James copped to inflammatory comments that were first reported by The Daily Wire, during a livestream of an official Columbia inquiry.

What is a Zionist? A White supremacist," James, a junior at Columbia said.

"Be grateful that I'm not just going out and murdering Zionists," he said at another point. "I've never hurt anyone in my life, and I hope to keep it that way." 

"What I'm saying is that if an individual that identifies as a Zionist threatens my physical safety in person, i.e., puts their hands on me, I am going to defend myself. And in that scenario, it may come to a point where I don't know when to stop." 

In a speech to the camera, James said Zionists should "not exist."

"I feel very comfortable, very comfortable, calling for those people to die," James said at the time. "And with that being said, Khymani is signed out."

In a statement released to X Thursday, James expressed "regret" for some of the rhetoric in his video but also complained that "far right agitators" discovered his language in the first place.

This is an excerpt of a story from Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark. Click here to read the full report.

A police officer detains a protester on the campus of Emory University, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Emory University in Georgia backtracked on its claim that "several dozen" anti-Israel protesters "trespassed" onto campus for a Thursday demonstration that was broken up by police.

"Several dozen protesters trespassed into Emory University’s campus early Thursday morning and set up tents on the Quad," Emory University said in a statement to Fox News Thursday.

"These individuals are not members of our community," the school said. "They are activists attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals. Emory does not tolerate vandalism or other criminal activity on campus. The Emory Police Department ordered the group to leave and contacted Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol for assistance."

But in an update Thursday, Cheryl Elliott, the university's vice president for public safety, said, "We have been notified that 28 individuals have been arrested, including 20 Emory community members, some of whom have been released."

(Fox News Digital)

About 400 Israel supporters are currently holding a rally at Columbia University to counter Palestinian supporters at the campus and to call for the safe return of hostages being currently held by Hamas.

The pro-Israel supporters could be heard chanting: "Bring them home, alive, now!"

The crowd also waved Israeli and American flags, while others held photographs of some of the hostages. The demonstrators have assembled at the main gate of Columbia University on 116th Street and Broadway.

One man who says that his sister is being held by Hamas, spoke to the crowd and pleaded for all of the hostages to be released. 

Julia Hart, a fashion designer and entrepreneur, gave a fiery speech and said that the world is ignoring the plight of the hostages. 

She said that hatred of Jews has been around since time immemorial and that her son went to Columbia University and faced antisemitism. 

Hart said he would hear from professors that Israel is “an apartheid.”  

She said that the anti-Israel protesters inside the campus would be rounded up under Sharia law. Hart added that to end the war the hostages must be released.

“It's simple,” Hart said.  

About 250 hostages were taken into captivity when Hamas militants attacked Israel’s southern border on Oct. 7 killing more than 1,200 people. About 133 hostages are currently being held.

The attack sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza which has has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths.

Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report.

Students and police stare each other down Thursday at Indiana University (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA Today Network)

More than 30 anti-Israel protesters were arrested at Indiana University in Bloomington Thursday afternoon as they clashed with police in riot gear, Fox 59 reports. 

The Indiana State Police (IUPD) said earlier in the day a crowd of protesters had placed tents and canopies at Dunn Meadow Park on the campus, which violated IU’s policy. 

This university violation was reportedly communicated to the protesters during the morning and afternoon, IUPD said.

The protesters were also informed that they would have been allowed to remain in Dunn Meadow if they removed the structures, according to IUPD. 

Officers made one final request for the crowd to remove the tents and canopies at around 3:45 p.m. before they began arresting those who had refused to leave. 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said at least 33 people had been taken away on a bus to the Monroe County Justice Center. Indiana State Police troopers also assisted with the arrests. 

Indiana University says it respects free speech and open dialogue as long as it is conducted in a manner that adheres to the college’s rules. 

"To ensure the safety and security of the IU community and to avoid disruption of university operations, expressive activity must be conducted in accordance with university free speech and events policies,” the statement reads, according to Fox 59. 

“This includes the enforcement of policies that require advanced approval for the installation of temporary structures.” 

More than a dozen anti-Israel protesters were also arrested Thursday morning in Indianapolis after blocking Meridian Street between 46th and 49th streets near the governor’s residence.

NYPD officers and campus security stand guard outside of Columbia University on April 26, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

The 48-hour deadline set by Columbia University early Wednesday has passed without an agreement with the anti-Israel agitators who have taken over the main lawn and upended campus life.

Around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, a campus spokesperson released a statement saying there was a 48-hour window for negotiations between the university and the protesters. That deadline has now passed, and the encampment is ongoing.

Columbia said late Thursday that negotiations are still in process, and that "the talks have shown progress."

"For several days, a small group of faculty, administrators, and University Senators have been in dialogue with student organizers to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following University policies going forward," the school said. "We have our demands; they have theirs."

The New York Police Department reiterated on social media Thursday that officers cannot enter the private campus without permission from the university, unless in case of an emergency or crime in process.

A police officer looks on as anti-Israel protesters hold up their phones (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

More than a dozen demonstrators were arrested at Ohio State University Thursday, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Videos posted online shows police in riot gear clashing with the crowd late Thursday, the Columbus campus becoming the latest scene of anti-Israel protests sweeping the nation.

Hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters had gathered in the South Oval green space area of the campus at around 5 p.m., calling on the university to divest its investments with Israel-linked companies.

At 7:30 p.m., Ohio State police officers began repeatedly telling the crowd to disperse and they refused.

By 10 p.m. dozens of police, including Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers surrounded the protesters and and just before 11 p.m., police began making arrests.

Police were seen loading those arrested into vans and buses near campus, WLWT reports. The outlet reports that three students were arrested on Tuesday and three more were apprehended on Wednesday.

University spokesman Ben Johnson said state law prohibits state entities like Ohio State from divesting in Israel. 

"Ohio Revised Code Section 9.76 prohibits the university from divesting any interests in Israel and prohibits adopting or adhering to a policy that requires divestment from Israel or with persons or entities associated with it," Johnson said in a statement.

Anti-Israel protesters holding Palestinian flags and signs at 116th Street and Broadway last night. (Dario Alequin for Fox News Digital)

Columbia University said late Thursday it is in "ongoing discussions" with anti-Israel demonstrators who are continuing their protest at a tent encampment at the university.

The talks have shown progress and are continuing as planned, the university said.

Columbia says they are not bringing the NYPD on to campus, despite rumors to the contrary.

"For several days, a small group of faculty, administrators, and university senators have been in dialogue with student organizers to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following university policies going forward," the university said.

"We have our demands; they have theirs. A formal process is underway and continues."

A debate over how to stop the massive demonstrations at Columbia and other elite universities continues despite multiple visits from members of Congress. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested Wednesday that the National Guard should be called in to quell the Gaza cease-fire protests at Columbia University if they don't peter out themselves.

Tents are still in place while a small group of anti-Israel protesters assembled at midnight 116th Street and Broadway, west of the campus, holding Palestinian flags and signs.

Counter-protesters holding Israel and American flags were seen at the east side of the university at 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and her daughter, Isra Hirsi, appeared Thursday at the encampment. Hirsi was one of more than 100 protesters arrested at the campus last week.

Weeks before the unrest, Columbia University had already suspended several students over a March 24 event hosted at a campus residential facility. Video circulating on YouTube showing the virtual portion of the two-hour "Resistance 101" seminar organized by "Columbia University Apartheid Divest" that featured Charlotte Kates, an international coordinator of Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and her husband, Khaled Barakat. An Israeli government document links Barakat to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S. State Department designated foreign terrorist organization.

Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 race, said Friday that any anti-Israel protesters on Florida college campuses could face expulsion for any harassing, offensive or belligerent behavior.

DeSantis told a group of people at a “Strengthening Florida” event that pro-Palestinian demonstrators are “taking over bridges, and they’re taking over roads.”

“At places like Columbia and Yale, Hamas protesters rule the roost, and the universities are too weak and scared to do anything—even as these mobs harass Jewish students and faculty,” DeSantis tweeted Thursday.

“If you try that at a Florida university, you are going to be expelled.”

The Sabereen News, a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed Iraqi militias is inciting American students to escalate university protests against Israel.

Per the Middle East Media Research Institute’s (MEMRI) Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM), the Telegram channel shared multiple photos of anti-Israeli protest across the U.S.

“From Columbia University to Brown University: ‘We will not abandon Gaza,’ the students in American universities chant during their sit-in solidarity of Palestine,” read a post on the channel, per MEMRI.

Reacting to a clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson speaking at Columbia University Wednesday, the channel blamed the U.S. government for atrocities committed in Gaza.

Another post mocked police for dealing with anti-Israel protests at UT Austin, saying the incident was indicative of how free speech is dealt with in the U.S.

Another post included a photo of Adolf Hitler laughing in response to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying there ought to be wider condemnation of the anti-Israel protests on American universities.  

Newly released body camera footage from the Boston Police Department shed light on a police officer's interaction with anti-Israel demonstrators as protests continue to rage across America's college campuses.

The body camera footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows an unidentified police officer approaching a group of demonstrators from Emerson College huddled on a street corner in front of a public alley entryway in the Massachusetts city at 1:30 on Thursday morning.

The officer is heard attempting in vain to reason with the agitators.

This is an excerpt of a story from Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten. Click here to read the full report.

Pro-Israel demonstrators near the campus of Columbia University (Fox News)

A group of counterprotesters marched toward the campus of Columbia University Thursday where the campus has been rocked by demonstrations against Israel.

The scene followed more than a week of anti-Israel protests that have upended the campus. The university said earlier Thursday it was in talks with student organizers to end the encampment.

Counterprotesters said they would “speak the love of God over all our enemies” and would “sing, and smile, and pray, and all of America will see a church that is unmoved.”

The counterprotesters carried Israeli and American flags. They called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on during the Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel.

Columbia University said Thursday that President Minouche Shafik has been in talks with New York City Mayor Eric Adams as the campus braces for more anti-Israel demonstrations.

The university is anticipating another night of protests and counterprotests, starting around 6 p.m. local time at Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway and continuing for several hours.

A university spokesperson said there is enhanced security around campus, and a faculty or student ID is required to enter the premise.

The NYPD is aware of these planned protests and is adding personnel to maintain safety. The university is asking others to avoid the area.

The university said it has been in dialogue with student organizers to discuss dismantling the encampment and dispersing.

“To underscore, we have our demands. They have theirs. A formal process is underway and it continues as President Shafik has said. We very much hope these discussions are successful,” a university spokesperson said. “If they are not, we will have to consider options for clearing and restoring. So we will have to consider options for restoring calm to campus.” 

Some of the dozens of protesters who were arrested at an anti-Israel demonstration at The University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday have been freed despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott saying they should be locked up.

Fifty-seven people were arrested at the campus, the Texas Tribune reports, citing a Travis County sheriff's spokesperson, while UT Austin said that 26 of those arrested were not affiliated with the college.

Abbott, a Republican, had earlier slammed the protesters who clashed with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in riot gear during chaotic scenes. 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan. Click here to read the full report.

A video on X from the Party for Socialism and Liberation shows students at Northeastern University cheering as police leave what the group described as a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”

Per local reports, an anti-Israel encampment formed Thursday on the university’s Centennial Common. Dozens of people – including students and faculty – formed a ring around the encampment, drawing a response from police officers who asked them to leave.

Police later were withdrawn, prompting cheers from the crowd. Video of the scene shows the crowd shouting: “Cops off campus!”

UT Austin on Thursday said nearly half of those arrested in anti-Israel demonstrations the day prior were not affiliated with the university.

The university said that the protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, saw “significant participation by outside groups present on our campus yesterday.”

"This outside group presence is what we’ve seen from the affiliated national organization’s efforts to disrupt and create disorder,” UT Austin said. “Roughly half (26) of the 55 people who violated Institutional Rules and were ultimately arrested were unaffiliated with The University of Texas.”

The university noted that more than a dozen demonstrations have taken place since October, largely without incident.

“In contrast, this one in particular expressed an intent to disrupt the campus and directed participants to break Institutional Rules and occupy the University, consistent with national patterns,” UT Austin said. 

Some of UT Austin’s faculty issued a statement condemning University President Jay Hartzell and administrative leaders for inviting city police and state troopers to respond to anti-Israel demonstrations on campus Wednesday.

“The Palestine Solidarity Committee had planned a day-long ‘Public University for Gaza’ educational event today on UT Austin’s main lawn,” a joint statement read on X.

“The event was to have included teach-ins, study sessions, pizza, and an art workshop. There was no threat of violence, no plan to disrupt classes, no intimidation of the campus community.”

The statement concluded with: “No business as usual tomorrow. No classes. No grading. No work. No assignments. Gather at the main mall in front of UT Tower at 12:15pm as planned with TSEU.”  

Anti-Israel protesters stormed the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan Thursday, joining demonstrations on campuses across the nation.

Video of the chaotic scene shows security struggling to stop the stampeded of protesters, many donning keffiyehs, who charged the building. Others who were visibly Jewish and wearing shtreimels, which are fur hats worn by Ashkenazi Jewish men, carried signs condemning the state of Israel.

The crowd could be heard chanting: “Free, free, Free Palestine!” and “Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest.” 

Emory University condemned anti-Israel "activists" who are "not members of our community" for disrupting campus on Thursday, as police responded to a massive crowd swarming the quad. 

"Several dozen protesters trespassed into Emory University’s campus early Thursday morning and set up tents on the Quad," Emory University said in a statement to Fox News. "These individuals are not members of our community. They are activists attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals. Emory does not tolerate vandalism or other criminal activity on campus. The Emory Police Department ordered the group to leave and contacted Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol for assistance."

Fox News crews on the ground estimated more than 100 protesters gathered on the Emory University quad. Protesters were seen holding signs that say "Emory: Cut all tires with Israel. End Gilee!" 

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace. Click here to read the full report.

Ilhan Omar and her daughter on the campus of Columbia University (CCNY)

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and her daughter were spotted on the campus of Columbia University Thursday.

Isra Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College after taking part in anti-Israel protests at Columbia last week. She was among more than 100 people arrested and issued a summons for trespassing last Thursday after protests at Columbia University.

The 21-year-old has complained that she has not been able to go to classes, having been evicted from campus housing and banned from using the dining hall with her meal plan.

Police respond to protests at Emory University (Getty Images)

The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Thursday condemned the use of Tasers and tear gas to break up anti-Israel demonstrations at Emory University.

“CAIR-Georgia strongly condemns the use of force and arrests against peaceful protesters at the Emory student sit-in,” the Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization wrote. “Protesters shared a day of cultural learning and community despite which Emory deployed excessive use of force, tear gas, and rubber bullets.”

CAIR blamed Emory University and the Atlanta Police Department for the violence, saying that students and protesters should be allowed their “full constitutional rights.”

An aerial shot of protesters at Princeton Thursday morning. (WTXF)

The wave of anti-Israel protests sweeping college campuses hit Princeton on Thursday morning, when dozens of demonstrators attempted to erect a tent encampment – only for university police to move in and make two arrests, a spokesperson tells Fox News Digital.

Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest, a group involved in the protests, lashed out at the show of force, labeling the school's police force as "pigs" on social media.

The protests began as a sit-in on McCosh Courtyard and then some began erecting tents, which is a violation of school policy, according to the university spokesperson. A large banner reading "Popular university For Gaza" was also being held up by protesters.

Princeton University Public Safety, the Ivy League school’s police force, gave demonstrators several warnings before acting, the university says.

Authorities then arrested two graduate students, who were cited for trespassing and were immediately barred from campus, pending a disciplinary process, the spokesperson said. 

All tents were then voluntarily taken down by protesters, the New Jersey university says, although social media posts show protesters still taking part in a sit-in on tarps and blankets in the courtyard. 

"Pigs pictured here arresting two of our fearless students!" a post on X from Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest reads. 

"The administration is trying to bar, suspend, and expel them. Please join us in calling on Princeton admin to stand in solidarity with Gaza and our peacefully protesting students!"

As police led one of those arrested away, the crowd began cheering and then chanting: "We will not stop, we will not rest, disclose, divest."

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this update.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at UN headquarters in New York City on April 18, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran has officially picked its side amid anti-Israeli protests that have erupted across elite U.S. colleges and universities.

As hundreds of students have been arrested at Columbia University, the University of Southern California, MIT, UT-Austin and others after disrupting campus facilities and trespassing, Iran is throwing its support behind the protesters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed support for those speaking ill of Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also said the law enforcement response to the ongoing protests, and subsequent mass arrests, has them "deeply worried and disgusted."

"The suppression and harsh treatment of the American police and security forces against professors and students protesting the genocide and war crimes of the Israeli regime in various universities of this country is deeply worried and disgusted by the public opinion of the world," the foreign minister said on X, according to a translation. "This repression is in line with the continuation of Washington's full-fledged support for the Israeli regime and clearly shows the dual policy and contradictory behavior of the American government towards freedom of expression."

As Columbia University officials continue to negotiate with a group of anti-Israel agitators who set up tents on a lawn at the heart of campus, Jewish and Israeli students say the presence and the aggression of the protesters has them afraid to walk through the area after sundown.

"I've had a friend who was beaten up," said Itai Driefuss, a third-year Columbia undergrad and Israeli military veteran from Tel Aviv. "It's scary. It's violent."

He pointed to a confrontation over the weekend where he said anti-Israel agitators confronted a group of counter-demonstrators who support the alliance between the U.S. and Israel.

"You had Jewish people holding up the American and Israeli flag, and people were holding up a sign that says, ‘Al-Quds next target,'" he said, referring to the militant Al-Quds Brigades, a Palestinian terror group aligned with Hamas. "It's the same people who do bus bombings and rape women and put babies in an oven."

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 200 kidnapped and held hostage. Israel's military response is still underway, and protesters at a number of large U.S. universities, including Columbia, USC, UT Austin and Yale have seen dozens of anti-Israel agitators arrested.

At Columbia, a group of protesters who set up tents on school grounds were kicked out last week, only to return with more tents and occupy the West Lawn instead. 

"It’s loud, and it’s scary, and a lot of Jewish and Israeli people don’t walk around on campus after the sun goes down," Driefuss said.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this update.

Students who formed an encampment at Columbia University in New York City, in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, were met with the full force of the New York Police Department after the school reversed course to allow law enforcement personnel on campus.

The decision prompted backlash from Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ignited a tiff between the lawmaker and the police force online.

"Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law," NYPD Chief John Chell wrote in a tweet early Thursday morning.

"Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school," he added. "I am sure you would agree that we have to teach them these valuable life skills."

The comment came after Ocasio-Cortez complained Wednesday that Columbia made "the horrific decision to mobilize NYPD on their own students."

The students are protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office for additional comment, but a response was not immediately received.

A CNN reporter cut his live report short on Wednesday after he was surrounded by anti-Israel protesters at the University of Southern California (USC).

During a trip to Los Angeles, CNN National Correspondent Nick Watt admitted the atmosphere was getting "unpleasant" and said people in the crowd were attempting to "intimidate" his news crew.

Watt tried to continue his report as one protester filmed him and interrupted the shot.

"Show your face," Watt said to the individual wearing a face covering. "Show your face. Show your face. Why are you scared to show your face?"

Watt then resumed his report and said the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was invited onto campus by USC as the temperature of the protests rose. The police told the demonstrators they had 10 minutes to disperse. Some chose not to and began linking arms. They were soon arrested.

The CNN reporter appeared flustered as protesters in the background began shouting and one person tried to wave a Palestinian flag in front of the camera.

"Anyway, I think we should probably go because it's getting a little nasty here," Watt said. "More than 50 people arrested. You know, back to you guys, we need to go."

The camera then returned to the studio, where CNN anchor Laura Coates said she could hear the commotion and urged Watt to stay safe.

Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum contributed to this update.

Columbia University parents are sounding the alarm about the "nightmare" situation their children are facing as anti-Israel protests continue on the campus.

Amy Gallatin told "Fox & Friends First" that the unrest has led to many sleepless nights. Though her daughter attends Columbia’s partner school Barnard, she lives near the location of the ongoing protests.

"Fortunately, I live very close to campus, but you worry," Gallatin told co-host Todd Piro Wednesday. "Every parent worries about their kid going off to school or their child. This is my firstborn. And you just want them to have an experience. But when you're now having to reconcile what's happening in their classrooms on top of what's happening on the campus, it's a very disturbing thing. And it's making all of the parents extremely concerned."

The cost to attend Columbia University as an undergraduate student in the 2023-2024 academic year is estimated to be nearly $90,000. 

But Rabbi Marianne Novak, mother of a junior at Columbia, is not looking for reimbursement for tuition and said she’s not pulling her child out of the school.

"The Jewish students, they just want to go to school. They want to finish their schooling. They want to have a college experience," she told "Fox & Friends."

The protests, however, have been a "pain in the neck" for her son, who has not experienced any form of harassment or attacks firsthand. 

"They have restricted the campus to only ID holders, which meant that he would have to budget another 40 minutes just to get into campus to go to class. So those things are irritating," Novak explained. "It just makes the whole atmosphere on campus just very difficult."

Fox News Digital's Amy Nelson contributed to this update.

Pro-Palestinian protestors set up tents in Harvard Yard, Boston, MA Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The Ivy League campus is host to a rising tide of protests across the country against the war in Gaza. (David McGlynn for Fox News Digital)

Anti-Israel protesters sleeping in the encampment at Harvard Yard had a rude awakening early Thursday morning when the school's sprinkler system went off, reportedly flooding tents.

Organizers advised protesters overnight that the sprinkler system would go off at some point, as regularly scheduled, according to the Harvard Crimson. At around 2:20 a.m., the sprinkler system activated nearby but not yet within the encampment, prompting protesters to distribute buckets along the perimeter, the report said.

Then at 3:50 a.m., a sprinkler activated within the encampment in the middle of several tents. One of the campers covered the sprinkler with a bucket and sat on it, which caused a puddle to form on the ground, the Crimson reported. 

Two more sprinklers activated near the edge of the encampment towards Massachusetts Hall moments later, the report said. Protesters used buckets to cover the sprinklers and sat on them. 

The Harvard chapter of the Palestine Solidary Committee posted about the sprinklers at around 4 a.m., stating on Instagram that some tents were flooded. The post noted temperatures were around 32 degrees Farenheit. 

The University of Southern California announced its campus will remain closed "until further notice" following a large anti-Israel protest on Wednesday that ended with 93 arrested.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrived at campus around 4 p.m. after agitators refused to follow the university's request to leave the area, Capt. Kelly Muniz said on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night.

After hours of clashing with campus police and the LAPD, the protest ended with 93 people arrested for trespassing.

"We haven't determined if they're going to be cited out or not. If and when, it is a misdemeanor offense. They are going, and they will be going through the booking process," Muniz said, adding that the process is "lengthy." 

Muniz said there was an altercation in a portion of the protest area that resulted in one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. She did not clarify what the weapon was or give any details on the incident, but said the rest of the agitators in the area dispersed after the arrest.

When asked if anyone was hurt during the demonstration, Muniz said she was not aware of any injuries to agitators or officers.

The university announced at 11:58 p.m. that the protest was declared over, but campus would be closed "until further notice."

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this update.

Top officials in the New York Police Department said Wednesday that police are in "standby mode" as they work to ensure that Columbia students are kept safe during the ongoing anti-Israel protest on campus. 

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry were interviewed on "The Story" and said that the role of police is to remain neutral and protect people while respecting the First Amendment rights of demonstrators. However, they emphasized that protesters will not be permitted to take over the streets of New York City, like what happened in Seattle's "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" (CHAZ) in 2020. 

"We will not have any Seattle-type encampments on the streets of New York City," Chell said. "I can guarantee you that would end rather quickly." 

The officials also commented on the language directed at police officers from protesters, comparing public safety officials to the KKK. 

Chell said those comments were "reprehensible" and "disgusting." 

Daughtry said that if his officers spoke how the professors and faculty spoke to them, they would face disciplinary action. 

More than 100 people were arrested early Thursday at an anti-Israel protest encampment at Emerson College in Boston after agitators clashed with police.

Four officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, three minor and one serious, as police worked to dismantle the encampment, the Boston Police Department said.

Most of the 108 protesters who were arrested are students. They are scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court today.

Video posted on social media shows police officers taking down tents and forcibly removing demonstrators from the encampment at Boylston Place. 

Emmerson College advised students Wednesday that they could be subject to "imminent law enforcement action" after Boston city leaders said the tents were in violation of city code, becoming a fire hazard with students blocking doors, hydrants and access to buildings, Boston 25 News reported.

City Councilor Ed Flynn said in a statement that he contacted Emerson College about complaints regarding protestors blocking public access. 

"I firmly believe in freedom of speech, but we cannot block public access. Violations of city ordinances must be addressed. Tents in public right of ways must come down," Flynn posted on X. 

Robert Kraft attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft took aim at Columbia University professors in an op-ed published in the New York Post on Thursday morning.

Kraft, who pulled support for his alma mater earlier in the week because of the antisemitic violence and protests on campus, wrote in the newspaper that the focus of the demonstrations should shed light on what professors have taught those students.

"Today, the attention and visuals surrounding the hateful protests taking place on Columbia’s campus have been focused on the students, but the students have been taught and empowered by faculty more focused on politics than they are on education," Kraft wrote.

"These are not the professors I had who exemplified the fundamental principles underpinning the mission of higher education in the United States."

He added, "I do not recognize my alma mater."

Kraft wrote to his astonishment over the signs on campus which read, "Go Back to Poland," and chants of "Kill all the Jews" and "October 7th 10,000 more times."

"The Columbia I loved is no longer a place I know," he added in the New York Post.

Scenes from the rowdy anti-Israel protest on UT Austin's campus Wednesday show students in confrontation with police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers in riot gear.

The Austin Police Department (APD) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) were observed making arrests. Some officers monitored the protests on horseback.

"APD, KKK, IDF / they're all the same," the group was heard chanting.

Protesters also chanted "Pigs go home!" at the Texas law enforcement officers on the scene. The keffiyeh-wearing protesters attempted to set up a few tents but were quickly thwarted by police. 

UT Austin told Fox News Digital that it "does not tolerate" disruptive protests early Wednesday afternoon. Later that evening, UT Austin President Jay Hartzell released a statement about the protest activity, calling it a "challenging day."

"We have witnessed much activity we normally do not experience on our campus, and there is understandably a lot of emotion surrounding these events," Hartzell wrote.

"Today, our University held firm, enforcing our rules while protecting the Constitutional right to free speech," he continued. "Peaceful protests within our rules are acceptable. Breaking our rules and policies and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed."

Fox News Digital's Christopher White, Andrea Vacchiano and Bryan Preston contributed to this update.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reacted to the anti-Israel protests that broke out at UT Austin on Wednesday following a wave of similar demonstrations nationwide. 

After stressing the need for safety, Buttigieg said that "any expression of antisemitism or of hatred is unconscionable." 

"It must be called out. It must be confronted. And that's certainly what President Biden has done in unambiguous terms," Buttigieg said during an interview on "America Reports." 

The secretary said there is a distinction between legitimate free speech and expressions of hate.

It is "especially disturbing, the idea that a student would be targeted or harassed simply because they are Jewish or simply because they look Jewish for the same reasons that it is horrifying when we have seen, in moments both since October 7 and through our lifetimes, when students who are Arab or look Arab have been targeted for harassment or violence," Buttigieg said. 

"Anytime you see any of that it needs to be confronted."  

The University of Southern California tweeted just before midnight local time Wednesday that anti-Israel protests on its campus have "ended."

"The protest on the UPC has ended. However, the campus remains closed until further notice. Students, faculty, staff, and people with business on campus may enter with proper identification," the university said.

LAPD Captain Kelly Muniz held a press conference Wednesday night and said there 93 people had been arrested for trespassing, and that there were no reports of injuries known to either first responders or the protesters.

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California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt will continue to keep its campus closed through the end of the week for safety concerns and occupation during anti-Israel demonstrations.

The campus issued a press release Wednesday stating that “protestors continue to occupy Siemens Hall, plus another building at Cal Poly Humboldt.” All classes will continue to be held remotely, they added.

Cal Poly Humboldt first said Monday it would close campus through Wednesday "for the safety of the campus community" while protesters occupied Siemens Hall. Ongoing safety and complexities led to the closure the next two days.

“The safety, health, and wellbeing of our students is paramount as the situation has become increasingly complex. There are unidentified non-students with unknown intentions, in Siemens Hall. This creates an unpredictable environment’ the university said.

They said entrances to occupied buildings are barricaded, which creates a fire hazard, and that “many toilets are no longer working.”

“The occupation of Siemens Hall causes complex operational challenges that require the closure of other facilities on campus. In particular, there is a risk of other buildings being occupied, as protestors have shown a willingness to enter unlocked buildings and either lock themselves in or steal equipment,” the school said. 

The university added that “hateful graffiti has been painted” on university property, and that it “condemns in the strongest terms all forms of hatred, bigotry, and violence.” 

“Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, hatred, and bigotry in all forms have no place at Cal Poly Humboldt. The University is actively offering support to all students and has been in touch with local Jewish community leaders.”

Anti-Israel protesters who flooded the campus at the University of Southern California on Wednesday have been moved off campus by the Los Angeles Police Department before 10 p.m. local time, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

LAPD officers began moving onto the campus earlier in the day after protesters began congregating. Hundreds of the protesters clashed with police. LAPD said 94 people were arrested.

At the University of Texas in Austin, nearly three dozen people were arrested Wednesday during protests on the campus and up to 50 were being detained. State troopers were brought in from Houston to assist the Austin Police Department and University of Texas Police.

The protests in Austin have also seemed to quiet down as it nears midnight in Texas.

The number of arrests among anti-Israel protesters at the University of Texas' flagship institution in Austin and the University of Southern California has reached several dozen already as day turns into night.

Angie Orellana Hernandez, a USC alum and reporter for the Los Angeles Times, tweeted there have been "At least 50 @usc arrests and counting." A later report at 10:30 p.m. ET stated that at least 73 have been arrested on the campus, according to Robert Novacik, a reporter and anchor at NBC LA.

Down in Austin, at least 34 people have been arrested and are being held in the Travis County Jail, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

A bevy of college campuses across the United States became grounds for anti-Israel protesters after protesters began taking over grounds at Columbia University, NYU and Yale over the last week.

UT Austin President Jay Hartzell issued a statement late Wednesday following a day of anti-Israel protests on campus.

Hartzell called it a “challenging day for many” filled with a “lot of emotion.” He said UT Austin enforced the rules while protecting free speech.

“Peaceful protests within our rules are acceptable. Breaking our rules and policies and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed,” he said, noting that the university held true on its promise to punish protesters who ignored pleas for restraint and to disperse.

He vowed that the University of Texas will “continue to take necessary steps so that all our University functions proceed without interruption.”

LAPD on the campus of USC (KTTV)

Los Angeles police officers in riot gear moved in on protesters at the University of Southern California (USC) Wednesday after a day of campus demonstrations against Israel.

The protests were part of a wave of demonstrations on college campuses nationwide against the universities’ ties to Israel.

At USC, hundreds of students clashed with USC Department of Public Safety officers as the confrontations escalated.

Some USC protesters were seen falling on the cement sidewalk amid the chaos. A few called for help, while others berated police officers.

Multiple U.S. universities were flooded with anti-Israel agitators on Wednesday, with four schools hosting notably chaotic scenes in California, Massachusetts, Texas and New York.

The University of Southern California (USC), Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and Columbia University in New York City were all backdrops with varying degrees of hostility and unruliness amid fierce campus opposition to the Israeli military's actions in the Middle East.

At USC on Wednesday, mayhem ensued when authorities began cracking down on unlawful activity and arrested protesters. Hundreds of students clashed with USC Department of Public Safety officers as the confrontations escalated.

Some USC protesters were seen falling on the cement sidewalk amid the chaos. A few called for help, while others berated police officers.

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano. Click here to read the full report.

Anti-Israel protesters set up more tents at Harvard Yard Wednesday following a day of rowdy demonstrations.

The university had tried earlier this week to stay ahead of protests by limiting access to the area and requiring permission for tents and tables.

But that didn’t stop protesters from rapidly setting up tents Wednesday afternoon, following a rally against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

The scenes followed similar demonstrations in Texas and California, where students demanded that their university cut financial ties and divest from companies connected to Israel.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican, held a press conference on the steps of Columbia University above an encampment where demonstrators demanding the school divest itself from Israel-linked businesses have occupied since last week.

The speaker blasted university leaders for permitting "mob rule" and intimidation tactics "overtake" the Founding Fathers’ ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of religion and "the free exchange of ideas." 

Columbia President Minouche Shafik was seen walking away from the Low Memorial Library after Johnson's speech. 

"We just can’t allow this kind of hatred and enemy antisemitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks," Johnson said.

This is an excerpt of a story. by Fox News Digital's Mike Ruiz. Click here to read the full report.

Harvard students carry Otto pizza boxes to protesters on April 24, 2024. (Source: Fox News Digital)

The anti-Israel protesters that gathered at Harvard Yard on Wednesday took a break in the afternoon to enjoy some free pizza, according to the Harvard Crimson.

The student newspaper reported that the pizzas were donated to the demonstrators at around 2 p.m. The paper reported that the pizzas, which came from an Otto pizzeria, "included toppings such as black olives and sliced mozzarella cheese."

The Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee also shared a Google form Wednesday asking for water, food, tent, sleeping bag and blanket donations, as protesters planned to stay in Harvard Yard as long as possible.

By 7 p.m., protesters had added eight tents to the encampment, bringing the total number of tents to 20, according to the Crimson.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Wednesday said it arrested more than 20 people at UT Austin where anti-Israel protests broke out earlier in the day.

DPS said troopers responded to the campus at the request of the university and at the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott “to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT Police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass.”

“DPS will continue adjusting operations as needed in order to assist our law enforcement partners and maintain the public’s safety,” DPS said. “The department is committed to proactively protecting the people and property of Texas.”

Video of the chaotic scene shows protesters surround troopers, calling them "pigs" while forming a human chain in a failed effort to prevent an arrest. Troopers can be seen pushing back on the crowd. 

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik spotted on campus. (Fox News Digital)

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was spotted on campus amid calls for her to resign intensify.

The university, like others nationwide, have been beset by rowdy protests over Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Shafik said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus.

“To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Shafik wrote, noting that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

White House officials addressed the anti-Israel protests taking place at universities across the country on Wednesday, saying President Biden believes in free speech, but when violent rhetoric and physical intimidation takes place, it must be called out.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter during a briefing on Wednesday what the president thinks of how the administration at Columbia University in New York City has been handling the protests.

Jean-Pierre directed questions about personnel to university officials because it was up to them to comment on the situation. But she spoke about the situation at the university, saying it is "a deeply painful, painful moment for communities."

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner. Click here to read the full report.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is suggesting the National Guard should soon be called in to quell the Gaza ceasefire protests at Columbia University if they don't peter out themselves.

Johnson and several House Republicans visited the New York City Ivy League school on Wednesday as tensions there escalate over demonstrations that have had several Jewish students speak out publicly about fear for their safety. Columbia University students and those attending its sister school, Barnard College, have set up a tent city on campus in protest of Columbia's investments in companies linked to Israel. 

Tensions over the issue almost reached a boiling point several times during Johnson's speech as pro-ceasefire student activists repeatedly heckled and tried to interrupt the Louisiana Republican with coordinated chants which included "We can't hear you" and "Mike, you s---."

This is an excerpt of a story by Fox News Digital's. Click here to read the full report.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said troopers are arresting anti-Israel protesters who had assembled at the university of UT Austin.

“Arrests being made right now & will continue until the crowd disperses. These protesters belong in jail,” he said. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period. Students joining in hate-filled, anti-Semitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” 

UT Austin students on Wednesday demanded police officers get “off our campus” as troopers moved in to disperse anti-Israel protesters.

Per KXAN, state troopers have been sent from Houston to Austin to assist police there with arresting demonstrators.

Troopers earlier were moving in on horseback and via motorcycle. Additional state troopers arrived at UT Austin’s Main Mall and were pushing protesters off the lawn.

Hecklers shouted House Speaker Mike Johnson down Wednesday as he spoke at Columbia University to address ongoing anti-Israel protests.

As he spoke, students booed at chanted “how many kids have you killed today?” And “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!”

Others chanted: “Step down or get fired already!”

Johnson plowed ahead with his speech, as he urged administrators to retain order at the institution.

Officers from the University of Southern California's Department of Public Safety broke up anti-Israel protests on the school's campus on Wednesday, causing chaos among students.

Video from the school's campus shows hundreds of students clashing with authorities while they arrested protesters. Some demonstrators fell to the ground as officers used force to arrest agitators.

"Help! Help!" one male protester was heard screaming as a fellow demonstrator was being arrested.

At another point during the footage, protesters wearing keffiyehs were seen falling on their backs on the cement sidewalk.

"Shame on you! Shame on you!" a group of demonstrators yelled at cops.

House Speaker Mike Johnson arrived on the campus of Columbia University Wednesday amid ongoing anti-Israel protests.

Speaker Johnson addressed the crisis in Gaza which has ignited the protests at Columbia as well as other campuses nationwide.

In his speech, Johnson blasted Columbia administrators for letting “threats, the fear and the intimidation of the mob rule to overtake American principles like free speech and the free exchange of ideas and the free exercise of religion.”

“We just can’t allow this kind of hatred and enemy anti-Semitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks,” Johnson said.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who spoke alongside Johnson took aim at Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, telling her that the “inmates are running the asylum.”

“Take back control, all of this once great institution. You took action last week, it’s time to act again. If not, the committee will pursue every possible avenue to create a safe learning environment for Jewish students,” she said.

As they spoke protesters attempted to drown them out with boos and chants, shouting “we can’t hear you!”

Johnson said he planned to share with President Biden what he had seen with his own eyes.

“If this is not contained quickly and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard. We have to bring order to these campuses,” he said. “We cannot allow this to happen around the country.”

Anti-Israel protesters on the campus of UT Austin formed a human chain as Texas DPS troopers moved in to clear the demonstration.

Protesters could be heard shouting, “Pigs go home!” at the troopers who made a blockade with their bikes to allow Austin police to arrest at least one protester.

Demonstrations broke out earlier in the day as protesters called on the university to “divest from death,” following similar scenes at other campuses nationwide in response to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Protestors were filmed rushing around a law enforcement vehicle at Wednesday's pro-Palestinian demonstration. (Source: FOX 11 Los Angeles)

Los Angeles authorities broke up an anti-Israel protest at the University of Southern California (USC) on Wednesday.

Social media video shows police officers tackling keffiyeh-wearing agitators on the school's University Park campus, prompting students to yell and scream. Student protesters from the school's Divest from Death Coalition and National Students for Justice in Palestine have been occupying Alumni Park in opposition to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"To not stand in opposition of the expressly racist violence here and abroad is to ignore the calls for solidarity demanded by the majority of the world," the organization said in a social media post, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. "USC acts in accordance with these oppressions, and to call against this is to recognize both the inhumanity of these systems and our own humanity in opposing them."

USC has been one of the American campuses most affected by anti-Israel student protests in recent days. Anti-Israel students have been demanding that school bureaucrats conduct an academic boycott of Israel and that officials urge for a ceasefire in the Middle East, among other requests.

Anti-Israel students at Harvard Wednesday launched a "Gaza solidarity encampment" on campus after the university placed the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee on suspension.

The encampment began at around 12:49 p.m., according to the Harvard Crimson. The student paper reported that by 3:33 p.m., the initial crowd had "dispersed," although many student protesters still remained.

Video of the chaotic scene shows throngs of students throwing up tents in the middle of Harvard Yard. The scene follows similar demonstrations nationwide, from Columbia, to NYU, to UT Austin.

National Students for Justice in Palestine tweeted: "The more they try to silence us the louder we will be."

The organizers of the demonstration have told protesters to not speak with schools officials if approached. Students are reportedly expected to face disciplinary action.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this update.

Texas troopers on horseback on the campus of UT Austin. (KTBC)

Texas troopers on horseback have begun moving in on anti-Israel protesters on the campus of UT Austin.

The campus newspaper, The Daily Texan reports that confrontation has emerged between state troopers and protesters in front of Waggener Hall.

The confrontation comes after students cleared the campus' Speedway Corridor.

Later protesters headed west to Main Mall where they faced police blocking paths. State troopers on motorcycle later arrived, and troopers entered with motorcycles.

Per reporting from the Daily Texan police entered the tower lawn, pushing back on some protesters who set down blankets and were sitting.

At least two people were arrested Wednesday at a pro-Palestinian rally at UT Austin.

The university's student-run newspaper reports that one of the arrestees is "UT-affiliated."

The arrests come at Texas DPS troopers were attempting to block protesters from moving north with batons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the anti-Israel protests seen on U.S. college campuses in a statement released Wednesday.

In a video, Netanyahu called reports of "antisemitic mobs" building encampments on college campuses "horrific" and compared what is happening to "German universities in the 1930s." 

"It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped. It has to be condemned and condemned unequivocally. But that’s not what happened. The response of several university presidents was shameful," Netanyahu said.

Though police have arrested hundreds of protesters at Columbia University and New York University, and other schools have taken disciplinary action against disruptive demonstrations on their campuses, Netanyahu said "more has to be done." 

"It has to be done not only because they attack Israel, that’s bad enough, not only because they want to kill Jews wherever they are, that’s bad enough, it’s also when you listen to them, it’s also because they say not only, 'Death to Israel. Death to the Jews,' but 'death to America.' And this tells us that there is an antisemitic surge here that has terrible consequences." 

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this update.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee held a rally at UT Austin on April 24, 2024, following similar protests at Columbia University and others. (KTBC)

The Palestine Solidarity Committee staged a class walkout and rally at the University of Texas at Austin campus on Wednesday following similar protests at Columbia University, Yale and other college campuses. 

Student protesters gathered at Greg Gym at 11:40 a.m. to demand that the school divest from Israel.

"In the footsteps of our comrades at Columbia SJP, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Yale, and countless others across the nation, we will be establishing THE POPULAR UNIVERSITY FOR GAZA and demanding our administration divest from death," the Palestine Solidarity Committee posted on Instagram. 

"We will be occupying the space throughout the entire day, so be sure to bring blankets, food and water, face masks, and lots of energy. As a reminder please be sure to respect our space and listen to organizers in order to help keep us all safe," the post read. 

Texas Department of Public Safety officers in riot gear were deployed to the protest. Members of the crowd could be heard chanting "the whole world is watching" and calling officers at the scene "fascists." 

Prospective students are increasingly opting for colleges like Elon in North Carolina, Clemson in South Carolina and the University of Miami in Florida over elite northeastern schools. 

For Jewish students , the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel protests on campuses like Columbia have shown students like Scott Katz that choosing Elon was the right decision. Elon received an A grade from the Anti-Defamation League for its work to protect Jewish students from hate on campus. 

"It was a big deal," Katz told The Free Press of the environment on campus.

"Even if I could’ve gotten into Harvard, I wouldn’t have gone," Katz said. "I wanted a school that felt right for me, not someplace that we’re told we’re supposed to want to go." 

"Never before have we seen so much interest in colleges like Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State," assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, Rick Clark, told the outlet. "That’s just unprecedented."

Other parents and students cited COVID-era lockdown policies as the reason that they started to more seriously consider southern schools. 

"Kids up north were pretty unhappy during those Covid lockdown years," a father of a prospective college student, Larry Glazer, said. "And colleges down south were offering something different. My son and his friends would look at TikTok and see all these college kids going to football games, throwing parties, living their lives. It has an impact."

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this update.

A Columbia professor barred from campus after hosting a pro-Jewish rally slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Wednesday, following her comments on the "nonviolent" anti-Israel protesters.

"AOC is agent of chaos, and I am just looking forward to my kids and grandkids reading about this chapter in history, and the list of all the rabid antisemites, and to see her name," professor Shai Davidai told "America's Newsroom."

"This is not a peaceful protest… she is lying to the people just like Rashida Tlaib, just like Cynthia Nixon from ‘Sex and the City,’ just like the New York Times," he continued.

Cortez, in her X post on Tuesday, wrote, "Calling in police enforcement on nonviolent demonstrations of young students on campus is an escalatory, reckless, and dangerous act. It represents a heinous failure of leadership that puts people’s lives at risk. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."

Her rhetoric came as chaos on Columbia's campus ignited concerns among the Jewish community as they feared for students' safety. One rabbi even warned Jewish students to leave campus, cautioning that the NYPD "cannot guarantee your safety."

Anti-Israel protesters, meanwhile, have been heard chanting "Al-Qassam you make us proud, kill another soldier now!" "We say justice, you say how. Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!" and "Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too!" 

Fox News Digital's Taylor Penley contributed to this update.

Columbia University parent Amy Gallatin joined 'Fox & Friends First' on Wednesday to discuss how the widespread anti-Israel protests on campus have impacted her daughter.

Gallatin said her child is a "proud Jew" and shared her concern that antisemitic sentiment surrounding the protests has created a "threatening" environment that has affected her child's ability to go to class.

"It's not that the Jews are 'fearful' so much as they are being threatened," Gallatin said. 

"The climate's been pretty toxic since October 7th." 

Gallatin shared that she's had many "sleepless nights" worried about potential harassment her daughter faces as a Jew on campus.

"When you're now having to reconcile what's happening in their classrooms on top of what's happening on the campus, it's a very disturbing thing," she said. "And it's making all of the parents extremely concerned." 

Columbia University said in an update Wednesday that it is making "important progress" with representatives of the student encampment. 

The university said demonstrators have committed to removing a "significant number" of tents and ensuring that only student protesters affiliated with Columbia will remain on campus to participate. The school extended a deadline to remove the encampment for another 48 hours in light of these commitments and others. 

One of the main gates on the Brown University campus, decorated with the University crest. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

Brown University on Wednesday said a group of students who set up a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus will face disciplinary action for violating school policy.

At around 6 a.m., dozens of students set up a tent city on the main green, with campus security nearby and observing, the Providence Journal reported. School officials said in a statement that 90 students who were involved in the protest have been informed they broke school rules.

"Encampment on Brown University’s historic and residential greens is a violation of University policy, and all of the students participating have been informed they will face conduct proceedings," Brown University said in a statement. 

"This policy is years old, established in October 2011, and not new. Protest is an acceptable means of expression at Brown, but it becomes unacceptable when it violates University policies that are intended to ensure the safety of members of the Brown community and that there is no interference in the rights of others to engage in the regular operations of the university." 

The administration said the campus Department of Public Safety will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that protests do not disrupt the university's operations.

"We have been troubled by reports of violence, harassment and intimidation at some encampments on other campuses, but we have not seen that kind of behavior at Brown. Any such behavior would not be tolerated," officials said. 

"Fox & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones visited a pro-Palestinian "fair" at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to talk with activists as antisemitism continues to engulf college campuses nationwide. 

"We're here to really advocate for Palestinians, for Gaza," one activist told Jones on Tuesday. "We're advocating, honestly, for just… humanity."

"There's also a lot more casualties on the Palestinian side than there is on the Israeli side," another activist chimed in. 

"And I'm not trying to like, compare the sides, but a lot of people are like, ‘oh my God, October 7th, October 7th,’ but like, no, this is since 1948."

"People are saying, well, but what about the Jewish community that is under attack as well? The women that were raped, the kids that were put into ovens," Jones said. 

One activist turned to the other activist and questioned the legitimacy of the claims that women and children were raped and tortured during the Oct. 7 massacre. She said she thought those claims were debunked. 

"The UN came out with a report," Jones said. 

"I don't know the resource, but like I said, we're not here to condone… we're not here for violence at all," she said in response. 

"Do you feel like you could separate the two and you say, hey, let's just talk about the humanitarian aspect of it without talking about the larger conversation of Hamas using the people that you care about, I care about, as human shields? Like, does that concern you?" Jones asked. 

" It does concern me. It does. It's actually really unfortunate," she said. "We don't look highly at that at all because you've got to understand, you're all talking about Hamas this, Hamas this. We're talking about the civilians." 

Fox News Digital's Bailee Hill contributed to this update.

"How America Works" host Mike Rowe called out the Ivy League for allowing "madness" and antisemitism on campuses in a post Monday. 

Rowe said that his foundation, mikeroweWORKS, is helping place young people at trade schools, which unlike the Ivy League, he argued, does not have students that are calling for the extermination of Jews. 

"[T]he Ivy League has truly lost its mind," he wrote on social media platform X. 

"Consider the latest madness at Columbia University, where the president, Minochuhe Shafik, has announced a new round of remote learning - effective immediately - in response to a noisy rabble of thugs and bullies calling for the eradication of Israel," Rowe continued. "If I had a kid at Columbia, I’d be livid. It’s simply mind-boggling that the president of this university would rather consign her students to another crucible of remote learning, than permanently expel the protesters."

Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted early Monday morning that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of the agitators and called for a "reset."

"I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," Shafik wrote. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns," Shafik said.

"I mean, seriously, what does it take to get expelled from Columbia?" Rowe asked, calling out "creeps" on campus who have been caught "literally screaming into the faces of Jewish students." 

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this update.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to members of the press after the House of Representatives passed bills, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on April 20, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday said House Republicans will hold a press conference later in the afternoon to call on Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign.

Johnson told talk radio host Hugh Hewitt that Shafik is a "very weak, inept leader" and criticized the university after Jewish students were advised to leave campus for their safety. 

"They cannot even guarantee the safety of Jewish students? They are expected to run for their lives and stay home from class? It’s maddening," Johnson said. "What we are seeing on these college campuses across the country is disgusting and unacceptable and every leader in this country, every political official, every citizen of good conscience has to speak out and say ‘this is not who we are in America.’"

An Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College recently sent a message recommending Jewish students leave campuses and go home as students continue to occupy an encampments there.

In a WhatsApp message sent to hundreds before the start of Passover, Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of OU-LJIC at Columbia/Barnard, told students to leave "as soon as possible" until the situation improves, noting that "what we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic."

Johnson condemned reports of physical assaults and harassment against Jewish students during the widespread anti-Israel protests on university campuses. 

"We need to revoke federal funding to these universities if they cannot keep control. We need to revoke these student visas for these violent protesters," Johnson said. "You don’t have a right to be here and to do this, but Jewish students have a right to be able to peacefully attend classes. They are trying to get an education. This is just madness."

Sergeant Joseph Imperatrice, founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, warned that protests like the anti-Israel encampment at Columbia University can create a dangerous situation for police officers.

Appearing on "Fox & Friends First" on Wednesday morning, Imperatrice said the experience for cops dealing with protesters is "always disgusting." 

"It's very easy to get hut and you're getting people that try to push you and shove you and cross the line so that you do something wrong. There's cameras everywhere," Imperatrice said. "It's not easy for them, but they have shown the utmost respect and restraint, and they're going to continue to do it." 

Imperatrice also said he agreed with New York City Mayor Eric Adams that outside agitators appear to be the ones escalating the protests and throwing bottles at police officers.

"They do come here, they're coordinated. They're orchestrated," he said, adding later that the protests are also happening in other states, not just New York. 

"And we're seeing them stop airports, stop traffic. You don't do this unless you're on some kind of system to be able to coordinate with one another." 

"Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University entered its one-week in New York, United States on April 23, 2024. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are forming anti-Israel protest encampments with a unified demand that their schools stop doing business with Israel.

Inspired by ongoing protests and the arrests last week of more than 100 students at Columbia University in New York City, seen at the epicenter of the ongoing demonstrations, students from Massachusetts to California, and Tennessee to Texas, are now gathering by the hundreds and are pledging to stay put on campus until their demand is met.

"We want to be visible," said Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil. "The university should do something about what we’re asking for, about the genocide that’s happening in Gaza. They should stop investing in this genocide."

The nationwide movement has gained momentum and has taken on new strength as administrators continue to allow anti-Israel demonstrations at schools like Columbia, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia and others.

The protests come as the Israel-Hamas war surpassed the six-month milestone earlier this month, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths. The stories of suffering in Gaza have sparked international calls for a cease-fire and protests around the world.

Students at campuses across the U.S. have demanded their schools stop doing business with Israel or the U.S. Defense Department, which gives money to it. While the specific demands may vary from campus to campus. Among them include:

Stop doing business with military weapons manufacturers that are supplying arms to Israel.

Stop accepting research money from Israel for projects that aid the country's military efforts.

Stop investing college endowments with money managers who profit from Israeli companies or contractors.

Be more transparent about what money is received from Israel and what it's used for.

People march as they gather to protest the banning of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at Columbia University on November 20, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The Columbia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine issued an ultimatum early Wednesday morning, refusing to negotiate further with school administrators unless they call off the threat of police intervention.

Columbia University gave the anti-Israel demonstrators a 48 hour deadline to end the encampment on campus, with a New York Police Department presence standing by at the university. University President Minouche Shafik said that if discussions are unsuccessful, administrators will have to "consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate." 

Demonstrators said they would not continue to negotiate with the administration without a written commitment that the administration will not be using the New York City Police Department or the National Guard on its students.

"We remain steadfast in our convictions and will not be intimidated by the University's disturbing threat of an escalation of violence," Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said in a statement.

"We will not concede to cowardly threats and blatant intimidation from an administration that continuously acts in bad faith and repeatedly neglects the safety of students." 

Billionaire Lee Cooperman, Omega Advisors (Fox Business)

Columbia University's billionaire donors are divided on whether they should continue funneling money into the Ivy League school.

Ultra-wealthy benefactors like New York Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced he is pulling financial support to his alma mater over the anti-Israel protests that are unfolding on campus. Kraft also started the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS). Kraft's net worth is over $11 billion, as tracked by Forbes. 

Another graduate, billionaire industrialist Len Blavatnik, who also has a history of giving significant amounts of money to philanthropy, told FOX Business that the school's "leadership must take immediate steps to ensure that Jewish students are protected from threats and intimidation, and that those who violate their policies are held to account." Blavatnik has a net worth of over $31 billion, as tracked by Forbes. 

Blavatnik didn't confirm if he was suspending his giving. However, sources told The New York Post he might also consider pulling back on his donations.

The school started losing donors shortly after the war kicked off in early October after Hamas terrorists stormed Gaza in a surprise attack, killing over 1,100 Israelis and kidnapping over 200, some of whom remain hostages.  

During an interview with Liz Claman on "The Claman Countdown" on Oct. 26, 2023, Columbia University graduate, billionaire investor and Omega Advisors CEO Leon Cooperman pledged to suspend his giving.

"I think these kids at the colleges have sh*t for brains" Cooperman told Claman. "I've given to Columbia probably about $50 million over many years," he continued. "And I'm going to suspend my giving. I'll give my giving to other organizations." 

This week, he told CNBC, he was "uncomfortable" with what is going on at the school but declined to elaborate on future donations. He did say he plans to support Columbia's business school "when they solicit" him. 

Cooperman's net worth neared $3 billion, per Forbes. 

FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this update.

An alumna of Barnard College, one of Columbia's four undergraduate colleges, is watching the anti-Israel protests and general unrest at Columbia University with a heavy heart.

Daniella Greenbaum Davis, a Jewish-American writer, Emmy-winning producer, and alumna of Barnard College, remembers a similarly charged atmosphere during her own tenure, one where she heard shouts of "intifada" or calls to bring intifada to campus. But, she said, today's demonstrations have reached a new level of extreme.

"I do not think I would send my kids to Columbia right now," Davis told Fox News Digital.

Davis is also a third-generation Holocaust survivor and recently shared part of her family's harrowing history on X.

"My great great grandparents were murdered in Auschwitz," she wrote on Oct. 13, less than a week after Hamas' terror attack against Israel. "My great grandmother lived under the Nuremberg laws. My grandmother survived Bergen Belsen. Jews, despite the anguish, never forget: we will survive this too. But the trauma is imprinted on our genes." 

This Passover at Columbia will be peppered with increased security for upcoming events and services, with police presence at the Kraft Center, a Jewish cultural center shared by Columbia and Barnard College, while students can get walking escorts to and from the building, according to reports.

"If you need a physical escort to get from your dorm to where you're gathering to have a religious meal on campus, that is not a campus I would choose to send my Jewish children to," Davis said. "And I can't think of a Jewish parent in America that would choose to send their children to that kind of environment."

Fox News Digital's Cortney O'Brien contributed to this update.

Rep. Ilhan Omar's, D-Minn., daughter Isra Hirsi claimed over the weekend that she and fellow anti-Israel protesters faced "physical harm" from opponents spraying "chemical weapons" while protesting at Columbia University.

Columbia University has been engulfed in protests over Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza. Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College, one of Columbia’s undergraduate schools, and arrested by the NYPD for her participation in the anti-Israel protest on Columbia University’s campus. The NYPD claimed she was among more than 100 people issued a summons for trespassing.

Hirsi and a fellow protester appeared on Saturday's episode of MSNBC’s "Ayman Mohyeldin Reports," where she was asked if student activists like herself are being targeted because of their "solidarity with Palestinians."

Hirsi argued anti-Israel protesters are "100% targeted." 

"Every single protest that we have, there’s a group of counter professors that bring all of their items, their flags, things like that, and they’re not seen as having unsanctioned protest or really receive the kind of disciplinary warnings that many of our fellow organizers received just for being seen at these protests, and so there is definitely some hypocrisy here," she said. 

She argued that such hypocrisy is especially salient considering counter-protesters used what she called "chemical weapons."

"You can kind of see it with the students that were, sprayed us with the chemical weapons, and the fact that there’s no public information as to what happened to them, but rather, the university is actively discussing what is happening to the [Anti-Israel] students here and making it a whole public spectacle rather than, when we haven’t done anything to physically harm students, whereas those that sprayed those chemical weapons physically harm students," she said. 

As for the chemical weapon claim, Hirsi was most likely referring to an incident involving "fart spray."  A Columbia University student who served in the Israeli armed forces is suing the school after he was suspended for using the noxious spray during an anti-Israel protest. The student is also accusing the school of selectively enforcing its policies to protect students.

Fox News Digital's Alexander Hall contributed to this update.

After anti-Israel protests formed at Columbia University, UC Berkeley and Yale, additional activist groups have become inspired to lead their own resistance movements, forcing schools in California, Texas and Maryland to brace for potential mayhem, Fox News has learned.

Activist groups at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Texas at Austin, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, have all announced on social media that they will hold anti-Israel protests on Wednesday, April 24.

Pro-Palestinian factions at all three universities have posted on social media indicating that they intend to hold "resistance" movements, including a post from the Hopkins Justice Collective which calls members to "stand in support of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, as well as the students on many college campuses across the country fighting for divestment from the settler colony of Israel."

NEWEST PROTEST GROUNDS AFTER SPARKS FROM IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS

"Bring your signs, bring your posters, and — most importantly — bring your energy," the post continues.

The newly anticipated anti-Israel protests come as activists have seen massive turnouts with hundreds of students at Columbia University in New York City and Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Similar protests have risen at other universities in recent days.

Columbia University issued a press statement around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday regarding its ongoing negotiations with anti-Israel protesters on campus. There are four sticking points, according to the university, which said, "We are making important progress with representatives of the student encampment on the West Lawn."

Student protestors have committed to dismantling and removing a significant number of tents.         

Student protesters will ensure that those not affiliated with Columbia will leave. Only Columbia University students will be participating in the protest.        

Student protestors in the encampment will comply with all requirements of FDNY with respect to activities and safety.         

Student protestors have taken steps to make the encampment welcome to all and have prohibited discriminatory or harassing language.  

"In light of this constructive dialogue, the university will continue conversations for the next 48 hours. We will report back on progress," the university concluded.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik on Tuesday evening initially set a deadline at midnight to reach an agreement in negotiations with student organizers involved in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” or their would be involvement from law enforcement. The deadline passed with no resolution and no altercations, according to reports.

Reports surfaced that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul could call in the National Guard, despite her saying Tuesday she would not send the military unit to the university.

There has been a large police presence by NYPD since Tuesday night, including both counterterrorism units and riot police.

The Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition of more than 100 Columbia University student groups who "see Palestine as the vanguard for collective liberation," issued a statement Tuesday night that said no deal would be reached until there's a "written commitment that the administration will not be unleashing the NYPD or the National Guard on its students."

Reporters embedded in the West Lawn encampment and outside of the Columbia University gates early Wednesday morning noted an increased presence of NYPD riot officers and members of its counterterrorism team on hand as the night unfolds on campus.

Student reporters from radio station WKCR said strategic command officers were lined up wearing riot gear, including protective shields for their faces.

President Minouche Shafik on Tuesday evening set a deadline at midnight to reach an agreement in negotiations with student organizers involved in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” or their would be involvement from law enforcement. The deadline passed with no resolution and no altercations, according to reports.

The deadline for protesters to leave the encampment has reportedly been moved to 8 a.m., but police told those inside the camp to keep down the use of amplified noise makers and beating against barricades down or else take a chance at being arrested.

There were scattered reports across social media that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul could order the state's national guard to mobilize if the NYPD needed assistance in dispersing the anti-Israel protesters. Hochul said Monday she had no plans to send troops to the university protests. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. tweeted Tuesday night that any police enforcement against the anti-Israel protesters would be an "escalatory, reckless, and dangerous act."

"It represents a heinous failure of leadership that puts people’s lives at risk. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," she tweeted.

This comes after Ocasio-Cortez labeled anti-Israel protests on college campuses as "peaceful," and ahead of Columbia University's president setting a midnight deadline for protesters to reach an agreement or else face police invlovement.

President Minouche Shafik set a deadline at midnight to reach an agreement in negotiations with student organizers involved in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” or otherwise there could be “alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate.”

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik set a deadline at midnight to reach an agreement in negotiations with student organizers involved in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” Otherwise, there could be a consideration of “alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate.”

Shafik sent an email to the Columbia community shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday night stating that members of groups from student organizers to members of faculty, administrators, and the University Senate “have been in dialogue” to “discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following university policies going forward.”

“I fully support the importance of free speech, respect the right to demonstrate, and recognize that many of the protestors have gathered peacefully,” Shafik wrote in her email. “However, the encampment raises serious safety concerns, disrupts campus life, and has created a tense and at times hostile environment for many members of our community. It is essential that we move forward with a plan to dismantle it.”

The university has already shifted to a hybrid learning environment amid safety concerns. This comes after Shafik on early Monday declared all classes that day would be online.

Tuesday's midnight deadline comes less than a week after Shafik authorized a police sweep of the encampment, resulting in 108 arrests. It was the largest mass arrest on campus since 1968.

“I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior,” Shafik said. “We are working to identify protestors who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray, testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Hart Building on Aug. 4, 2022.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau shares intelligence about certain threats of violence related to heated protests on college campuses. 

“Demonstrations themselves are not something that we, the FBI, get involved in,” Wray told NBC News in an interview that aired Tuesday. “But when violence ensues, that’s when we get concerned.” 

“Even before Oct.7, we saw a significant increase, especially in antisemitic threats and antisemitic violence,” he added. “And since Oct. 7, that number has gone up quite substantially.” 

Protests on college campuses began after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas but were revived last week after months of relative calm. 

Hundreds of protesters have been arrested at Columbia and New York universities and school administrators have been criticized for not doing more to keep Jewish students safe. 

Wray noted that the FBI doesn’t monitor protests, but does “share intelligence about specific threats of violence with campuses, with state and local law enforcement.”   

Anti-Israel protesters gathered near the Brooklyn home of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were arrested Tuesday night.

Police officers were seen placing zip ties on demonstrators at the scene.

The New York Police Department did not immediately have a figure on the number of arrests.

The protest came a day after more than 100 people were arrested at an NYU Gaza solidarity encampment on the college campus. 

Schumer was asked about the protest during a Tuesday night press conference following the Senate's passage of a $95 billion foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine.

He was asked by Fox News' Kelly Phares to share a message for protesters, to which he replied by referring to his statement earlier condemning antisemitism on Columbia University's campus.

“College campuses must be places of learning and discussion. Every American has a right to protest, but when protests shift to antisemitism, verbal abuse, intimidation, or glorification of Oct. 7 violence against Jewish people, that crosses the line. Campuses must remain safe for all students," Schumer's statement read.

When pressed again for a message to the protesters outside his home, he refused to answer.

The founder of a pro-Israel international campus movement is warning against history repeating itself as antisemitism continues to rage on university and college campuses across the country. 

Ilan Sinelnikov, the president and founder of Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a pro-Israel student movement, told Fox News Digital that history is repeating itself — pointing to the recent anti-Israel protests on Columbia University's campus in New York City.

"History at the end of the day repeats itself," he said. "What we have seen back in the 30s with the harassment and intimidation of Jewish people across Europe, back when Jewish students were not allowed to universities and people were creating human chains in order to block Jewish students from entry."

"Jewish students are being intimidated and harassed on college campuses. I was on a call with a Jewish student that goes to Columbia University, and she said, 'I can't wait to pack my bags and get on the first flight home. I don't want to be on this campus anymore.'"

"When you get to the point, when in our most prestigious universities, Jewish students don't feel safe to walk on those campuses because they're afraid of being harassed or afraid of being physically assaulted," said Sinelnikov. "When you see all of that, the similarities are frightening."

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., sent a scathing letter to top Biden officials about the ongoing anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, demanding federal intervention to protect Jewish students.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Stefanik wrote to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The New York congresswoman did not mince words when describing the disarray caused by the anti-Israel protests at the New York City Ivy League institution, threatening Jewish students and faculty.

"Over the past few days, anarchy has engulfed the campus of Columbia University and created an environment that is unsafe for Jewish students and faculty," she wrote. "You have the ability and authority to put a stop to this and take concrete steps to hold accountable those responsible."

"Consequences are needed for those who are calling for terrorism and violent attacks," she added. Stefanik cited the Immigration and Nationality Act, which states that anyone who endorses terrorism can become ineligible for American residency, and noted that protesters are "brazenly endorsing Hamas and other terrorist organizations."

Classes at Columbia will be entirely virtual for the rest of the semester due to the protesters "taking over" the campus. New York City Mayor Eric Adams blamed "outside agitators" for fanning the flames during a press conference Tuesday.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to the media during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 01, 2023 in Washington, DC.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., decried the intimidation of Jewish students and antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses in New York City as “unacceptable and deeply disturbing.” 

Anti-Israel protests have raged on the campuses of Columbia University and New York University in recent days, with students setting up encampments in an effort to force the schools to divest from Israel. 

“Every American has the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful assembly in the public square,” Jeffries said in a statement. “However, intentionally targeting Jews or any community on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity, acts of harassment and the use of physical violence will never be tolerated.” 

“No Jewish student or faculty member should fear for their safety on campus or anywhere else in our nation,” he added. 

Columbia recently announced that classes would shift to virtual or hybrid learning as Jewish students have voiced concerns over antisemitic rhetoric by pro-Palestinian supporters.

“The effort to crush antisemitism and hatred in any form is not a Democratic or Republican issue,” said Jeffries. “It’s an American issue that should bind us all together. We will continue to do everything possible to protect the Jewish community during this very fraught moment, fight the cancer of antisemitism and redouble our efforts to bring communities together.”

Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower on his way to Manhattan criminal court on Monday in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Former President Trump slammed Columbia University for closing its campus amid violent anti-Israel, pro-Gaza protests, urging the college to "gain a little strength" and "courage," while saying the move "means the other side wins." 

Trump took reporter questions in Trump Tower on Tuesday evening before a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, who is the current vice president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party. 

The former president and presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee was asked if he would visit with Jewish students this week amid protests, following the news that House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to visit Columbia University’s campus Wednesday. 

"Well, we have a lot of different things, but what’s going on with the colleges—and, they’re closing Columbia now? I mean, it’s just crazy," Trump said. "Columbia should gain a little strength, a little courage and keep their school open." 

"It’s crazy because that means the other side wins," Trump said. "When you start closing down colleges and universities—that means the other side [wins.]" 

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Crews installed a makeshift plywood wall with steel doors outside an NYU building as anti-Israel protests continue across campus. 

The barrier was placed outside the NYU Stern School of Business on Tuesday evening, a day after more than 100 protesters were arrested outside the building.

Many were given a summons for trespassing. Officers with the New York Police Department manned the perimeter after clearing the courtyard of a group of tents set up by the crowd. 

The president of Accuracy in Media spoke with anti-israel protestors at Columbia University, including one individual who flipped him off. (Accuracy in Media)

A watchdog group that focuses on higher education released footage exposing the chaos occurring at the epicenter of the anti-Israel protests plaguing one of America's most prestigious Ivy League universities.

Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy In Media, visited Columbia University to speak with the people behind the anti-Israel protests that have erupted at the school, filming his encounters in a video shared with Fox News Digital.

Guillette, who is Jewish, received a cold welcome when he asked several protesters questions about Hamas, the safety of Jewish students on campus, and why they were demonstrating against Israel.

One person said students were not being threatened despite the Morningside main campus  switching to hybrid or remote learning for the remainder of the spring semester due to safety concerns for Jewish students.

When asked who their favorite terrorist group was, one person said "IDF" (Israel Defense Forces).

Others cursed at Guillette or told him to "shut up" when asked if Hamas should remain in charge of "Palestine." Another person flipped off Guillette and told him to "f--- off."

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, will meet with Jewish students at Columbia University on Wednesday. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will meet with Jewish students at Columbia University on Wednesday as anti-Israel protests continue to besiege the Ivy League campus.

Johnson will meet with an unspecified number of students at 3 p.m. in a private meeting.

The speaker has criticized protesters who have taken over parts of colleges campuses in recent days in an organized effort to force schools to divest from Israel and companies that do business with the Jewish state.

"Amid anti-Israel protests, Jewish students at Columbia University don't feel safe," Johnson wrote in a Tuesday social media post. "It’s become so dangerous that students were forced out of the classroom. Let’s be clear: these are not peaceful protests, these are antisemitic mobs."

After the meeting, Johnson will deliver some remarks and take questions "regarding the troubling rise of virulent antisemitism on America’s college campuses," his office said.

An Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College recently sent a message recommending Jewish students leave campuses and go home as students continue to occupy an encampments there.

In a WhatsApp message sent to hundreds before the start of Passover, Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of OU-LJIC at Columbia/Barnard, told students to leave "as soon as possible" until the situation improves, noting that "what we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic."

"The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy," Buechler wrote. "It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved." 

As a result of the protests, Columbia instructed students that classes at the Morningside main campus have moved to hybrid learning "until the end of each school’s Spring 2024 semester."

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Anti-Israel protests at Columbia University that led to fear for the safety of Jewish students have sparked growing calls for tuition refunds over the chaos.

Last week, the New York City Police Department arrested 108 demonstrators after they had set up an encampment on the campus lawn. Over the weekend, a Columbia University rabbi urged Jewish students to leave campus following instances of antisemitic harassment. 

In response to the rabbi's message, commentator Bethany Mandel wrote on X, "Jewish parents need to demand their tuition back. If their kids can’t be kept safe, Columbia owes them repayment."

Then on Tuesday, students at the Ivy League institution were informed that classes have shifted to virtual or hybrid as concerns linger about campus safety stemming from the anti-Israel demonstrations. 

One student, Michael D’Agostino told The New York Post the switch to hybrid classes is frustrating given "the amount we pay to be at this school to learn from these amazing faculties and professors."

The total cost of attending Columbia University is $89,587 per school year.

"I’m studying applied physics and applied math and those are classes I really benefit from being in-person," the D'Agostino told the outlet. "I went through COVID and all that when we were online for about a year and it really disrupted our education."

FOX Business' Breck Dumas contributed to this report.

Mayor Eric Adams and New York Police Department top brass condemned "outside agitators" fanning the flames of anti-Israel protests at Columbia and New York University, as police made more arrests.

At his usual Tuesday press conference from City Hall, Adams, a Democrat and former police officer, praised the NYPD's response. 

"We can't have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city," Adams said. "Someone wanted something to happen at that protest at NYU." 

"People who peacefully protest for an issue, they're not throwing bottles in chairs," the mayor added. "And so we know that we have acknowledged and saw across the country, there are people who come have nothing to do with the issue and they want to aggravate. Now, if those police officers didn't show a high level of discipline, this could have been an ugly situation." 

The NYPD confirmed that 120 individuals were taken into custody by New York University on Monday, including 116 who were released with a summons for trespassing. 

"What I learned during the Black Lives Matter protest, when I was notified under the previous administration that there were anarchists that came into the city with the determination of really disrupting and tearing our city apart," Adams said. "We strongly believe that is the case right now, that there are people who are here. They latch on to any protests to see our police officers having bottles thrown at them, chairs." 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

Amid the anti-Israel protests raging on college campuses, questions about who or what is behind the seemingly well-organized effort are being asked as many of the demonstrations look identical, from the message to the tents being used in student encampments. 

Jonathan Schanzer, a senior vice president with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies research institute, said his group began watching a group known as the Students for Justice in Palestine a decade ago. The group has been a fixture at such protests in recent weeks. 

“And what we found was that there was an organization, an umbrella organization known as AMP, American Muslims for Palestine,” Schanzer told “America Reports.” “It started with just a handful of campuses. There's now 200 campuses that have SJP. They use a lot of the same rhetoric. They use a lot of the same devices on campuses, the different means of protests.” 

Much of the money being funneled to the SJP comes from an obfuscated money trail, including a nonprofit in White Plains, New York called Westpac, said Schanzer. 

The goal is to put political pressure on the Biden administration, he said. 

“I mean, the pressure was there for Trump, it was there for Obama,” Schanzer said. ”The idea is to wield that political pressure as much as possible. And we're seeing tactics that really do look like the 1960s revisited.” 

“And you can see right now that the president is, is kind of having a bipolar moment as it comes to, the Israeli war effort in Gaza. On the one hand, we're now supporting, with additional funding, this very just war that the Israelis are fighting,” he added. “In the same time, they're talking about issuing sanctions or withholding certain funds from units that are operating in the IDF, the very same army that we're looking to fund here. The president is trying to figure out how to walk a fine line. I think the message is muddled right now. And I do wonder whether these campus agitators have a role.” 

Police at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus dispersed an encampment of anti-Israel protesters in Rep. Ilhan Omar's district on Tuesday morning. Nine protesters who refused to leave were arrested. (Getty Images, inset | Fox 9 KMSP)

Police at the University of Minnesota cleared out an anti-Israel protest encampment from its Twin Cities campus, which is located in progressive "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar’s district, and arrested nine demonstrators early Tuesday.

The university’s Department of Public Safety received reports that a group had set up an encampment with tents on the north end of the Northrop Mall, a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Officers warned the protesters around 6 a.m. that those present were in violation of university policy and state trespassing law as tents are not allowed on campus without a permit, the spokesperson said, adding that "no encampments, tents, fires, or other types of encampment living arrangements have ever been permitted on any university properties or in buildings."

"The group was asked to disperse by 7 a.m. and told they would be arrested if they chose to stay past that time," the university spokesperson said. "Some of those present chose to disperse and continue peacefully protesting, but nine chose to remain and were arrested without incident."

Those arrested were taken on trespassing charges to the Hennepin County jail, where more than a dozen demonstrations gathered to protest the arrests, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., urged the New York Police Department to arrest anti-Israel protesters if they are breaking the law. 

Authorities in New York have arrested protesters at various college campuses after they failed to disperse and began squatting on campus. 

“These university presidents may need to ask the chief of police in New York and New York City’s finest to arrest anyone who’s breaking the law, who’s squatting on private property when they’ve been told to disperse, who’s harassing or intimidating Jewish students in a nascent pogrom and demand that students actually do what they’re supposed to do on campus, which is go to school,” Cotton told “America Reports” on Tuesday. 

Cotton also urged the Biden administration to revoke any visas for foreign students who are breaking the law and to deport them. 

“They have no right to be here. They certainly have no right to be here spewing antisemitic and anti-Israel filth,” he said. 

Columbia University called the NYPD last week to clean an encampment, resulting in 108 arrests for trespassing. Protesters are demanding the school divest itself from all companies that do business with Israel. 

Cotton compared the protests , in which demonstrators have called for the destruction of Israel and the United States, to scenes in 1930s Nazi Germany, which preceded the Holocaust. 

The Israeli embassy in New York City tells Fox News Digital Tuesday that it is "deeply troubled" by the "recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents" unfolding at schools such as Columbia and New York University. 

The Consulate General of Israel in New York said "Such acts contravene free speech principles and have no place in academia." 

"We are deeply troubled and strongly condemn the recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents at institutions such as Columbia University and NYU, where Jewish, Israeli, and pro-Israeli students are targeted and denied a safe educational environment," it said. 

"These manifestations of hate are unacceptable. Institutional leaders must urgently address and correct these behaviors," the consulate added. "Recent events have been overlooked for too long without significant intervention, which is now crucial than ever for the safety and well-being of all students." 

Workers erect a wooden wall at Gould Plaza at New York University Stern School of Business after an encampment set up by NYU students was cleared out on Monday night and at least two dozen protesters were arrested on April 23, 2024 in New York City. The students joined a growing number of college campuses throughout the country where student protesters are setting up tent encampments on school grounds to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for their schools to divest from Israeli companies. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York University appears to be tightening security on campus after more than 100 anti-Israel agitators were arrested during Monday night's protest.

Plywood barricades were installed at Gould Plaza, where a day earlier students and faculty had encamped and demanded that the school divest from Israel. Dozens were cited for trespassing and four face criminal charges after police were called to the scene to restore order. All have been released with summons to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.  

Antisemitism has surged on Ivy League campuses as students and outside protesters have put on demonstrations protesting the war in Gaza. Protesters carried pro-Hamas signs and chanted antisemitic slogans at NYU and Columbia University, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians for its response to the Oct. 7 terror attack, in which Hamas infiltrated the Jewish state and slaughtered 1,200 Israelis.

University spokesperson John Beckman said NYU was carrying on with classes Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Former US President Barack Obama waves as as he arrives outside 10 Downing Street in central London, on March 18, 2024, ahead of his meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The open antisemitism running rampant on Columbia University's campus in New York City has drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle, but one prominent Democrat and alumnus of the school is remaining silent, choosing not to speak out against the anti-Israel demonstrations taking place there.

In a lengthy Monday post on X commemorating the celebration of Passover, former President Obama, who graduated from Columbia in 1983, made no mention of protestors' violent rhetoric aimed at the university's Jewish students and staff, and neither he nor his representatives responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment about the antisemitic demonstrations that have engulfed the campus since last week.

A number of other Democrats have, however, joined their Republican colleagues in denouncing discrimination against Jews at Columbia, which was forced to move all classes to virtual on Tuesday because of safety concerns.

"Every American has a right to protest," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "But when protests shift to antisemitism, verbal abuse, intimidation, or glorification of Oct. 7 violence against Jewish people, that crosses the line."

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, another Democrat, also denounced the display of antisemitism at the university, saying she was "appalled." 

"Threats of violence against Jewish students and the Jewish community are horrible, despicable and wholly unacceptable," she said. "Using the rhetoric of terrorists has no place in New York, where we pride ourselves on tolerance and the right of every group to practice their religion in peace."

Others who joined their party members in addressing the encampment were Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and John Fetterman, D-Penn.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this update.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., spoke out Tuesday about his experience visiting the anti-Israel student protests at Columbia University. 

Those protests have spread to multiple Ivy League and elite campuses across the U.S. and have resulted in hundreds of arrests.

"It has created a place that does not feel safe for all students from all backgrounds and races and religions, and the bottom line is that is completely unacceptable at any college campus," Gottheimer said on CNN's "This Morning." 

Gottheimer said he came to Columbia in support of an educational experience that is safe and welcoming for all students.

"No antisemitism, no Islamophobia, no attacks on anybody," he said, endorsing "civil and constructive discourse." 

When asked if he would feel safe sending his children to Columbia University after what he witnessed on campus, Gottheimer said he would be concerned about their well-being. 

"After what I saw yesterday? I would be very concerned," he said. "And I understand why parents would be very concerned." 

"Imagine sending your child off to college and obviously spending a pretty penny for it and they‘re not safe and you're worried if they‘re going to be safe," he said.

"I think that‘s unacceptable," Gottheimer continued, "that they can‘t even feel safe on the campus, and I think that it echoes a huge responsibility now that many of my colleagues are calling for, that these university presidents across the country step up and provide a safe space for all students."

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this update.

Police intervene and arrest more than 100 students at New York University (NYU) who continue their demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students at Columbia University and to oppose Israel's attacks on Gaza, in New York, United States on April 22, 2024. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A group called the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition is calling on students at New York University to walk out of classes Tuesday following violent anti-Israel protests that unfolded there last night. 

The group has posted on Instagram for students to walk out of class at 1 p.m. ET and head to Washington Square Park in Manhattan "to reflect, debrief [and] strategize." 

Anti-Israel protests at New York University's campus turned violent Monday night when demonstrators hurled bottles at police officers who were sent to the scene to disperse a large unruly crowd, officials said. 

NYPD sources confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that 133 demonstrators were arrested by police using zip ties and flex cuffs to remove the protesters from campus. They were taken on a bus to police headquarters, where they were charged with trespassing, the sources added. 

The NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition said in an Instagram post that NYU students in their group set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on Monday. 

The group is demanding to "end all war profiteering and investment in genocide," a "complete academic boycott of Israel," the removal of NYPD on campus and that NYU "must protect free speech on campus and provide full amnesty to all students and faculty penalized for their pro-Palestinian activism." 

They claimed the arrests last night were "violent" but that "the violence we faced is only a fraction of the violence that Palestinians face on the ground every day." 

NYU did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the walkout. 

Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett said authority must be asserted on college campuses to clamp down on antisemitism at anti-Israel protests.

Bennett joined America's Newsroom on Tuesday to react to the protests at Columbia and New York University's campuses, where dozens of protesters were arrested for trespassing.

"The main thing that has to happen is authority has to be asserted on the campuses," Bennett said. "It's not enough for the presidents to maintain peace, they need to maintain the order and to assert their authority and say, 'this is a university. We do not do this here. You people are ignorant. Go to the library, if you're students that are enrolled here, and read about what happened in the Holocaust."

He criticized Columbia University's decision to move to virtual classes, calling it a "win" for the disruptive protesters.

"The president of that university should say we are open. We are open for business. And anybody who tries to interfere with our students coming on campus will be arrested and, hopefully, for a long time," Bennett said. 

The University of California- Berkeley is among the latest campuses to join in on the anti-Israel protests sweeping the country, as students occupied part of the Bay Area campus Monday during a sit-in.

UCB Divest, a coalition of students, staff and faculty members, is one of the organizations leading the charge and calling on the community to come out and support their group, in what they call the first encampment of its kind on the West coast, during the occupation of Sproul Plaza.

"WE NEED YOU HERE! We will need you every night throughout this week to take up space with us. We know the Bay Area will not disappoint," the group posted on Instagram.

Organizers told Fox News the encampment is in solidarity with students from Columbia University and elsewhere who’ve been arrested, and say the tents will remain until UC divests from corporations -especially military manufacturers- that are helping Israel with the war effort.

The group is also calling on the university to enact policies to protect Palestinian students, and call for an end "to the violence in Gaza."

"As students of this university, we have no choice but to take action as UC Berkeley stays silent about our people's genocide and remains complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians," the group posted. 

The group told Fox News that they are prepared to be arrested. However, Monday's rally was reportedly peaceful and there was no sign of police.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this update.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks on the 59th commemoration of the Bloody Sunday Selma bridge crossing on March 3, 2024 in Selma, Alabama. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona released a statement Tuesday condemning the anti-Israel protests on college campuses that led to dozens of arrests.

"Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable. I am deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University. In November 2023, our Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Columbia involving Title VI," Cardona posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"While we can’t comment on pending investigations, every student deserves to feel a sense of safety and belonging at school. Hate has no place in our schools. All education leaders must stand definitively against hate, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim sentiment," the secretary continued.

"Universities are at their best when they promote the respectful exchange of diverse views and constructive debate. Our Office for Civil Rights interprets the civil rights laws we enforce consistent with free speech and other rights protected under the First Amendment." 

"But we won’t tolerate hate or harassment that targets students because of who they are or who they’re perceived to be," he concluded. 

President Biden’s latest comment on antisemitic protests on college campuses is being called his "very fine people on both sides" moment by some on social media.

Following the president’s Earth Day comments at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia, reporters caught up with Biden and asked for a comment on anti-Israel protests occurring across multiple universities at the time.

"Do you condemn the antisemitic protests on college campuses?" Biden was asked.

"I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians," he said.

Equating the antisemitic protests with people who "don’t understand" the Palestinians ignited several comments accusing Biden of echoing Trump’s "very fine people on both sides" Charlottesville comment from 2017.

"This sure sounds like he’s ACTUALLY saying there are very fine people on both sides," OutKick founder Clay Travis remarked.

"’Very fine people on both sides,’" RedState writer Bonchie agreed.

American Spectator writer Nate Hochman noted, "I'm old enough to remember when ‘good people on both sides’ was evil and racist."

Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick contributed to this update.

An Arab-Israeli journalist said anti-Israel agitators assaulted him ahead of a lecture he was supposed to give at Columbia University last Thursday.

Yoseph Haddad, a journalist, Israel Defense Forces veteran and activist who founded the interfaith group Together Vouch for Each Other, said a pro-Israel student group invited him to speak on campus about the coalition of Arabs and Jews in Israel last week, right as anti-Israel protests rocked the college campus.

When he first arrived, he was alarmed to find agitators chanting "intifada" and "from the river to the sea," and confronted the group.

"As an Arab, I know the real meaning of [intifada]. Of course, the direct meaning is, ‘a violent uprising.’ But people do not understand what this ‘violent uprising’ means," Haddad told Fox News Digital.

"Intifada means the moral death of Jews, the moral death of Arabs," he said.

The Israeli journalist said he asked the group how they could "literally support terrorism" before they turned their hostilities toward him. Haddad said they began hurling death threats and antisemitic slurs at him even though he is not Jewish.

Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum and Kristine Parks contributed to this update.

Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman called the anti-Israel protests on Ivy League campuses were "utterly shocking" and warned that antisemitism "can only end in tragedy.

Friedman, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz when she was five years old, reacted to footage from the protests at Columbia and New York University's campuses on "Fox & Friends." 

"I am shocked. I am pained. I'm scared, both for America, I'm scared for the Jews. And very painful for our young people," Friedman said. "What's shocking most of all is that the professors, some of them, are on board." 

Police made dozens of arrests and dispersed the protests at Columbia and NYU as demonstrators screamed antisemitic slogans and demanded that the schools divest from Israel.

Such demonstrations have exploded across college campuses in recent months out of protest at Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which in turn is a reaction to Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel that saw 1,200 people killed and around 240 taken hostage. 

Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry claims that the war has killed at least 34,097 Palestinians and wounded another 76,980, though Israel has disputed these figures. The ministry doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. 

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this update.

A sign marking the closure of Harvard Yard to non-Harvard affiliated persons to prevent demonstrations is seen on April 22, 2024 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Harvard University has closed Harvard Yard at the heart of its campus and is restricting access to the outside area until Friday, according to a report, a move that comes as anti-Israel protesters take over open areas of other Ivy League campuses.

Signs posted on the gates of Harvard Yard on Sunday said that the area was closed to non-Harvard ID holders and that "structures, including tents and tables" are not permitted without prior permission, the Harvard Crimson first reported.

Blocking pedestrian pathways and access to building entrances was also prohibited, according to the Crimson. The university said that students who violate these policies are subject to disciplinary action.

Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard University but did not immediately receive a response.

The announcement comes after more than 200 anti-Israel protesters gathered in Harvard Yard on Friday and demanded that the university divest from Israeli companies and investments in the West Bank.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this update.

Anti-Israel Protests at New York University's campus turned violent Monday night when demonstrators hurled bottles at police officers who were sent to the scene, officials said.

"When NYU asked the NYPD to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to disperse and were 'interfering with the safety and security of our community.,' our officers moved in without delay," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry. 

"Unfortunately, as they were dispersing the crowd, some chose violence and pelted the police with bottles," Daughtry said. "The professionalism and composure our officers showed as they cleared the plaza — despite these dangerous acts of aggression they encountered  — are to be commended." 

The deputy commissioner shared video that appears to show bottles thrown at police. 

Mass arrests began around 8:30 p.m. after the protest escalated the plaza in front of the business school. The university released a statement explaining while it supports students' rights to protest, safety remains its priority.

"Today's events did not need to lead to this outcome," NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement.

Beckman said the protests were "considerably disruptive of classes and other operations in schools around the plaza." 

"Nonetheless we made no move to clear the plaza at that point because high among the University's aims was to avoid any escalation or violence," Beckman said. "So, the University was deeply disturbed when, early this afternoon, additional protesters, many of whom we believe were not affiliated with NYU, suddenly breached the barriers that had been put in place at the north side of the plaza and joined the others already on the plaza. This breach was in violation of directions from Campus Safety Officers and in violation of multiple University rules."

"This development dramatically changed the situation," he continued. "We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that demonstrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control or people can get hurt."

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this update.

Rep. John Carter, R-Texas said "unhinged anti-Israel activists" vandalized his Georgetown office, posting pictures of the display on social media just days after he voted in favor of providing $26 billion in aid to Israel.

On Monday morning, Carter posted an image of the door to his Georgetown, Texas office, splattered with red liquid that spelled out, "Free Gaza."

"Unhinged anti-Israel activists vandalized my Georgetown office," he posted. "Let me make 2 things clear, my support of Israel is unwavering & your intimidation won’t work. Secondly, the parties responsible will be found & will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

FOX 7 in Austin reported that officers with the Georgetown Police Department responded to Carter’s office at about 8:45 a.m. after reports of a possible burglary.

Police told the station it is investigating the vandalism as criminal mischief, which in Texas is a misdemeanor if the loss is between $750 and $2,500.

The incident comes as anti-Israel agitators continue to protest at major cities and universities across the country, including Columbia University in New York City.

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this update.

Leonardo Munoz / AFP) (Photo by LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Columbia University in New York City announced Monday evening that classes at its main campus will be remote for the remainder of the season over safety concerns following days of anti-Israel protests on campus.

"Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students' learning and all the required academic operations," Columbia provost Angela V. Olinto said in a message to the university's community.

The Morningside main campus will be moving all classes to hybrid learning, as long as classroom technology permits it, until the end of the Spring semester.

The university stated exceptions for arts and practice-based programs, saying that there will be in-person learning with "generous accommodations" supported by school deans and staff.

Courses at the Columbia University Irvine Medical Center and Manhattanville campuses will also remain in-person, operating as usual but offering accommodations for "religious reasons, or approved disability accommodations."

"All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality," Olinto wrote.

"Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation," she continued. "If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week."

An Arab-Israeli journalist said anti-Israel agitators assaulted him ahead of a lecture he was supposed to give at Columbia University last Thursday.

Yoseph Haddad, a journalist, Israel Defense Forces veteran and activist who founded the interfaith group Together Vouch for Each Other, said a pro-Israel student group invited him to speak on campus about the coalition of Arabs and Jews in Israel last week, right as anti-Israel protests rocked the college campus.

When he first arrived, he was alarmed to find agitators chanting "intifada" and "from the river to the sea," and confronted the group.

"As an Arab, I know the real meaning of [intifada]. Of course, the direct meaning is, ‘a violent uprising.’ But people do not understand what this ‘violent uprising’ means," Haddad told Fox News Digital.

"Intifada means the moral death of Jews, the moral death of Arabs," he said.

The Israeli journalist said he asked the group how they could "literally support terrorism" before they turned their hostilities toward him. Haddad said they began hurling death threats and antisemitic slurs at him even though he is not Jewish.

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California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt announced that the campus will be closed through Wednesday for safety concerns in response to anti-Israel demonstrations.

In a statement, the university said the campus would be closed "for the safety of the campus community" as protestors continue occupying Siemens Hall.

"The campus community is advised to avoid the area of the building, as it is a dangerous and volatile situation," the statement said.

"The University is deeply concerned about the safety of the protestors who have barricaded themselves inside the building," the statement continued. "The University is urgently asking that the protestors listen to directives from law enforcement that have responded and to peacefully leave the building."

The university said in-person classes and activities will be transitioning to remote where possible.

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After an anti-Israel protest escalated at New York University on Monday – requiring city police presence – the university released a statement explaining while it supports students' rights to protest, safety remains its priority.

"Today's events did not need to lead to this outcome," NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement.

Mass arrests began around 8:30 p.m. and, within an hour, the demonstration had largely fizzled out.

Roughly 50 anti-Israel protesters started a demonstration on the plaza in front of the business school Monday morning without notice or authorization from NYU, according to Beckman.

The university closed access to the plaza, placed barriers and emphasized that it would not allow additional protesters to join the demonstration because it was already "considerably disruptive of classes and other operations in schools around the plaza," Beckman said.

In response to intimidating chants, antisemitic incidents and safety issues, the university requested assistance from the NYPD, who initially urged people on the plaza to leave peacefully before ultimately making several arrests.

"We will continue to support individuals' right to freedom of expression, and, as we have said since October, the safety of our students and maintaining an equitable learning environment remain paramount," Beckman said, referring to the initial response to protests following Hamas terrorists' Oct. 7 attack against Israel, which started the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Former CNN host Campbell Brown declared Sunday she is heading to Israel with her sons, arguing that the embattled country is currently more welcoming to her Jewish family than New York City, where antisemitic protests have roiled Columbia University.

Just before Passover began, the former news anchor and ex-Meta executive wrote on social media, "I’m on my way to Israel where my two sons will be safer and feel more welcomed than they would be today on the Upper West Side. #AmYisraelChai [The people of Israel live]."

Brown’s husband, former Bush administration foreign policy adviser and author Dan Senor, responded with a series of emojis in support of her statement.

New York City has been a hotbed of massive anti-Israel protests since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. Columbia University, in particular, one of America’s most prestigious universities, has been shaken by such demonstrations in the past several days.

Fox News'  Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

The New York City Police Department arrested several anti-Israel protesters on New York University's campus after school officials requested police presence to clear out people who refused to leave the area.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said the department received a letter from NYU on Monday "detailing a request to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to comply with repeated requests to disperse."

"They were described as 'interfering with the safety and security of our community.' Our officers responded to the location without delay and dispersed the crowd — making numerous arrests, as necessary," Daughtry said.

"There is a pattern of behavior occurring on campuses across our nation, in which individuals attempt to occupy a space in defiance of school policy," he continued. "Rest assured, in NYC the NYPD stands ready to address these prohibited and subsequently illegal actions whenever we are called upon."

Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Monday. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. (Peter Gerber)

Rabbi Moshe Hauer is calling on the White House and federal government to take a harder stance on combating campus antisemitism after the "anarchy" at Columbia University.

"What was very clear last week was basically a cry from the university leadership of Columbia and from the law school, the former law school dean, who's the head of the antisemitism Task Force, that they don't know how to draw the line between what is permitted and what is forbidden. And that task should not be on a task force of the community. That task, that definition, should be provided by the government of the country that tells them what's permitted, what's forbidden," Hauer told Fox News Digital.

He continued, "The Justice Department, the Department of Education, should be telling the schools where the line is, should be telling the schools what appropriate enforcement looks like. Meanwhile, they're left to figure it out for themselves. And that's helping to grow this problem, the absence of crystal-clear guidance from our government and moral support in that enforcement."

On Sunday, Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative (OU-JLIC) Director Rabbi Elie Buechler put out a recommendation for Jewish students to return home ahead of Passover.

"The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy," Buechler wrote. "It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved."

To read the full article, click here.

The New York Police Department was making several arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters at New York University on Monday night.

Large crowds were on the campus all day protesting Israel amid its war with Hamas.

Authorities warned the anti-Israel protesters that they needed to disperse. Instead, some began forming a human chain as the police moved in. The participants also denounced capitalism and stomped on the Israeli flag.

"This is the New York City Police Department,” an officer is heard saying over a loudspeaker. “You have been warned by New York University to leave the area. Please leave the plaza now or you will be arrested for trespass."

At least two police buses and several police vans were seen in the area.

As Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik faces scrutiny from ongoing campus protests over Israel’s war with Hamas, a more than 20-year-old video is getting renewed attention for remarks on the causes of terrorism.  

The video, filmed just two months after 9/11, shows Shafik – who was then vice president at the World Bank – discussing the economic roots of terrorism with UC Berkeley’s Harry Kreisler on the program, "Conversations with History."

Shafik argued that although terrorism has sprung up in "fairly rich and open societies," its most fertile ground is in countries beset by "economic stagnation and political authoritarianism." 

"You’ll always have individuals with extreme views. But what’s really troubling in the region is that there’s actually quite a broad base of society which has some sympathy for the terrorists, not so much because they approve of their methods, but it’s a form of protesting against a system which is not delivering for them on the economic or the political front," she said. 

The video was first unearthed by The Daily Wire’s Brent Scher. 

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Monday. (Peter Gerber)

Students at one of Columbia University’s undergraduate colleges has voted in favor of a referendum asking if the school should divest from Israel. 

Students at Columbia College were asked if the university should divest financially from Israel, cancel the Tel Aviv Global Center, and end Columbia’s dual degree program with Tel Aviv University, the Columbia Spector reported. 

More than 60% of the 2,013 students who voted were in favor of divestment for each of the three questions.

“Columbia University welcomes and embraces the Israeli students , faculty, and staff on our campus,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement to Spectator, the student newspaper.

“We also benefit greatly from our dual degree program with Tel Aviv University.” 

The vote has no impact on university policy but lets officials know where students stand. 

Teji Vijayakumar, president of the Columbia College Student Council, told the student newspaper she doesn’t “necessarily think that this referendum will be enough to get divestment."

Vijayakumar, instead, hopes the university senate will put out a university-wide referendum to form a consensus on the matter. The referendum results came amid days of protests at the university in which participants have called for a halt of aid to Israel.  

A sign outside Harvard Yard warns that only those with Harvard IDs can enter the yard, outside Harvard University on Monday. The sign also cautions that any structures, like the tents and tables used at protests at other colleges, aren't allowed without permission and students caught violating the policies are subject to disciplinary action. (AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc)

Harvard University has suspended its Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and ordered them to cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term or risk permanent expulsion, according to reports.

The group confirmed the suspension on its Instagram account.

The PSC was one of several groups to stage a rally at Harvard Yard, located at the heart of the Ivy League campus, last week in solidarity with students at Columbia University, The Harvard Crimson reported.

More than 100 students were arrested last week during protests at Columbia, many for trespassing, the New York Police Department said.

Harvard told the PSC that suspension came after the group failed to register a demonstration and violated university guidelines on the use of space.

The group had previously been placed on probation by the College in March, according to the email, according to the student newspaper.

“The organization will not be recognized and will not have access to university benefits and services during this time, including but not limited to use of campus space and appropriate use of the Harvard name,” the email stated. “If the organization continues to operate and commits additional violations during this suspension, the organization risks permanent expulsion, as provided in the Resource Guide.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news briefing. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday called the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University “concerning and painful.” 

“The events that have occurred at Columbia University have been deeply concerning and painful for many,” James said in a statement. “The right to protest peacefully is the bedrock of our nation’s democracy. However, when peaceful protest devolves into hate and antisemitic violence, the line is crossed and will not be tolerated. My office is monitoring the situation closely.    

“We know the dire consequences of failing to stand tall in the face of hate, and this moment must be a clarion call to respond to those who seek to spark the flames of division,” she added.

James said her office was monitoring the protests closely. 

A woman walks by a Yale sign reflected in the rainwater on the Yale University campus, Aug. 22, 2021, in New Haven, Conn. Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday, April 22, 2024 and police arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University as tensions on U.S. college campuses continue to grow over the war in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Sixty people were arrested at Yale University for refusing to voluntarily leave a portion of the Connecticut campus, the school president said Monday evening.

Those arrested were taken into custody by Yale police after they refused to leave an encampment set up last week. Of those arrested, 47 were Yale students, university president Peter Salovey said in a message.

“I am grateful that we were able to take these actions peacefully and that none of the protesters resisted arrest,” he said. “We will pursue disciplinary action to address possible violations of our policies, particularly those policies prohibiting threats, intimidation, coercion, harassment, and physical harm as well as conduct that interferes with university operations.”

Salovey noted that the protesters were warned that unauthorized use of campus space would result in disciplinary and legal action.

“Members of the Jewish, Muslim , Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian communities reported that the campus environment had become increasingly difficult,” he said.

“We then became aware of police reports identifying harmful acts and threatening language used against individuals at or near the protest sites," he added.

Protesters at New York University displayed solidarity with the Palestinian people on Monday as displays against Israel continue on college campuses. 

Video footage at a gathering in Manhattan show a crowd chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” 

The slogan is a pro-Palestinian liberation phrase that has been used by Hamas and other anti-Israel actors as a call to arms against the Jewish state. 

It refers to the land between the Jordan River and The Mediterranean Sea, which encompasses Israel. A House resolution condemning the phrase recently passed with 44 Democrats and one Republican opposing. 

Protesters were also chanting anti-police phrases'

"No Justice, no peace. F*** these racists a** police," they were heard saying.

Pro-Palestinian activists on Monday organized a “Camp Free Palestine” in front at the University of California at Berkeley, similar to what students at Columbia University in New York have done in recent days. 

The gathering spot was in front of Sprout Hall in the main quad area of the campus. As of Monday afternoon, there was at least a dozen tents. 

“With three weeks left in the semester, Berkeley is prioritizing students’ academic interests,” a school statement to Fox News states. “We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the university’s operations. There are no plans to change the university's investment policies and practices.” 

Organizers with the UC Berkeley Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine said the encampment is in solidarity with students from Columbia University and elsewhere who’ve been arrested. They said the tents will remain until the school divests from corporations, particularly military manufacturers, that are aiding Israel in its war effort against Hamas. 

Participants said they were prepared to be arrested. A rally on Monday drew several hundred people and was peaceful. 

President Joe Biden speaks at Prince William Forest Park on Earth Day, Monday in Triangle, Va. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Despite multiple efforts on Monday to get an answer from the White House, officials remained silent on the issue of whether President Biden intends to deploy the National Guard to break up anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.

Fox News Digital asked the White House whether it would comment on the situation at Columbia University and if it required federal intervention, but didn't receive any response. The silence comes as hundreds of anti-Israel agitators have mounted disruptive protests at the university's campus in New York City, with some calling for violence against Jews and Jewish students.

"Eisenhower sent the 101st to Little Rock," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in a social media post Monday. "It’s time for Biden to call out the National Guard at our universities to protect Jewish Americans."

"The nascent pogroms at Columbia have to stop TODAY, before our Jewish brethren sit for Passover Seder tonight," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., added. "If Eric Adams won’t send the NYPD and Kathy Hochul won’t send the National Guard, Joe Biden has a duty to take charge and break up these mobs."

Last week, anti-Israel agitators initiated protests, staging what they labeled a "Gaza solidarity encampment" on the Columbia University campus and shutting down a central lawn at the university. The protesters, who erected tents as part of the action, called for hostilities in the Middle East to end and for the university to divest of companies that have ties to Israel.

During a Earth Day press conference, AOC said that the protests at Columbia University were "peacefu;." (Fox News)

During an Earth Day news conference, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., switched gears and called the student-led protests happening across college campuses across the country "peaceful."

"Today also serves as a reminder of the power of organizing, of what we can accomplish [when] young people, climate advocates, labor organizers and working people of all backgrounds come together to demand the future. We all deserve. It is especially important that we remember the power of young people shaping the country today," Ocasio-Cortez said.

"Of all days as we one once again witness the leadership of those peaceful student-led protests on campuses like Columbia, Yale, Berkeley and many others," Ocasio-Cortez continued.

Her message comes as the Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College sent a message recommending Jewish students leave campus and go home as anti-Israel agitators have continued an "encampment" on campus and participants were caught on camera sympathizing with the terrorist group Hamas.

Pro-Palestinian agitators who had occupied Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza over the weekend put on a toned-down display at a single intersection on the edge of campus Monday after police shut down their encampment in the morning.

Yale police announced 47 student arrests after the demonstrators refused the school’s invitation to voice their concerns with university trustees and also ignored police requests to clear out.

On Monday afternoon, traffic around the intersection of Grove and College streets was closed to cars as more than 200 people gathered, some singing pro-Palestinian slogans as many sat in the sun with their laptops and beach chairs.

Campus police and their city of New Haven counterparts maintained a visible presence as activists handed out snacks and drinks in the Connecticut college town.

Code Pink, the anti-war group, protested in support of the Palestinian people Monday at a large book festival being held at the University of Southern California.

Group members visited the LA Times Festival of Books on the USC campus to also support 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, who was supposed to give her valedictorian remarks at this years commencement ceremony before the school scrapped canceled the speech.

"Today at the LA Times Festival of Books we put Palestine on the agenda!" Code Pink posted on X. "Ahead of World Central Kitchen’s Jose Andres’ speech, we demanded accountability for Israel’s murder of 35,000+ Palestinians and WCK aid workers. FREE FREE PALESTINE."

Code Pink members were seen walking on the Los Angeles campus with signs calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and holding Palestinian flags.

Last week, USC announced it would be not be allowing Tabassum, a biomedical engineering major, to give her valedictorian speech during the main stage commencement after a series of social media posts she made about Israel.

"To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period," Andrew Guzman, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, wrote in the statement. 

Several congressional lawmakers decried antisemitism on college campuses, particularly Columbia University, this weekend as anti-Israel protesters briefly took over a part of the Ivy League school campus, resulting in hundreds of arrests. 

Amid the demonstrations that began last week, Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted Monday that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of agitators, who have formed an "encampment" on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants.

"I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," Shafik wrote. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas."

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., visited the university over the weekend to stand with Jewish students, some of whom have said they don't feel safe on campus. 

"Collectively, not just the folks here, but on a bipartisan basis, we in Congress are going to do something about it," he said in a video posted to X. 

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Dozens of anti-Israel agitators who gathered at Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza demanding divestment from weapon manufacturers turned down a chance to meet with school trustees and the chairperson of the campus’ investor responsibility committee on Sunday before they were arrested in a Monday morning raid, according to a university official. Yale authorities spent the weekend attempting to negotiate with the group to no avail.

"The university also spent several hours in discussion with student protesters yesterday, offering them the opportunity to meet with trustees, including the chair of the Corporation Committee on Investor Responsibility (CCIR), and to avoid arrest if they left the plaza by the end of the weekend," a Yale University spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "They declined this offer and continued to occupy the plaza."

According to the university's website, the board of trustees had a pre-planned meeting scheduled for Saturday. But the agitators made their demands without meeting the board, the spokesperson said.

According to the university's website, the board of trustees had a pre-planned meeting scheduled for Saturday. 

But the agitators made their demands without meeting the board, the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Chaos has engulfed the Ivy League.

Protesters at Columbia University have spent days protesting against Israel’s war with Hamas, forcing authorities to arrest more than 100 of the agitators, and the school’s president has shifted all classes to virtual learning on Monday amid safety concerns.

Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik mostly closed the campus and urged commuting students not to travel to the campus in a statement posted just after 1 a.m. on Monday. In the statement, the president said she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of the agitators, who have formed an "encampment" on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants.

The statement is the latest action from the school’s administration amid the fiery protests in and around the New York City campus that began Wednesday as dozens of anti-Israel activists created an encampment on the main lawn of campus.

To read about dramatic moments on the campus from Columbia University anti-Israel protests, click here.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer were among those to denounce antisemitism on Columbia's campus, joining their Republican colleagues. (Getty Images)

A number of Democrats in the Senate have joined their Republican colleagues in denouncing discrimination against Jewish students at the prestigious Ivy League Columbia University, where an anti-Israel solidarity encampment persists on campus, prompting the institution to move classes online on Monday. 

"Every American has a right to protest," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement.

"But when protests shift to antisemitism, verbal abuse, intimidation, or glorification of Oct. 7 violence against Jewish people, that crosses the line."

"Campuses must remain safe for all students."

Schumer, who represents New York City, where Columbia is located, is the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate and also the highest ranking Jewish elected official in U.S. history. 

Last week, the anti-Israel demonstration sprang up on Columbia's campus, with students camping out in tents and demanding that the university divest from all companies with ties to Israel. Since then, the protest has grown in size and presented a safety threat to Jewish students. This has mushroomed into such a concern that an Orthodox rabbi at the school advised Jewish students to leave campus because "Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety."

Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Professor Shai Davidai has spoken out on campus antisemitism at Columbia. (Fox News Digital)

A Jewish Columbia University professor who has been critical of the school’s response to widespread anti-Israel protests and planned a counter demonstration said Monday that he was blocked from entering the main campus. 

Assistant business professor Shai Davidai, who was born in Israel and has called for Columbia leadership to resign as anti-Israel agitators wreak havoc on campus, said his keycard to enter the school’s main campus had been deactivated. 

"I have, not just a civil right, a civil right as a Jewish person to be on campus. I have a right as a professor employed by the university to be on campus. They deactivated my card," Davidai told demonstrators Monday.

The moment when Davidai apparently realized his entry card was deactivated was captured on video that quickly spread on social media. 

"My card has been deactivated? Why? Wait, wait, wait, everybody my card has been deactivated. This is Cas Holloway, the COO [Chief Operating Officer], this is [Vice President for Public Safety] Gerald Lewis. They were in the meeting when I asked them if Hamas is a terror organization, and they couldn’t say that it is a terrorist organization," Davidai told the crowd as Holloway and Lewis looked on. 

Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this post.

Republicans from New York in the House of Representatives have written a letter Monday calling for Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign over her handling of the anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.

"Over the past few days, anarchy has engulfed the campus of Columbia University. As the leader of this institution, one of your chief objectives, morally and under law, is to ensure students have a safe learning environment," they wrote. "By every measure, you have failed this obligation. The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions."

"As Representatives from the State of New York, many of our constituents are directly impacted by the unfolding chaos on Columbia's campus," they continued. "Based on these recent events and your testimony in front of Congress, we have no confidence in your leadership of this once esteemed institution."

The letter was co-signed by Reps. Elise Stefanik, Nicole Malliotakis, Claudia Tenney, Nicholas Langworthy, Michael Lawler, Anthony D'Esposito, Nick LaLota, Brandon Williams, Andrew Garbarino and Marcus Molinaro.

Robert Kraft speaks on March 7, 2024, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft made it his mission to "stand up to Jewish hate" in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel and on Monday he went a step further.

Kraft announced he was pulling his support for Columbia University amid the antisemitic violence at the Ivy League school. He released a statement through his philanthropic organization, Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.

"It was through the full academic scholarship Columbia gave me that I was able to attend college and get my start in life and for that I have been tremendously grateful," Kraft’s statement read. "However, the school I love so much – the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity – is no longer an institution I recognize.

"I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country. I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.

Liberal comedian and actor Michael Rapoport said Monday that the anti-Israel protests that are happening at Columbia University are “not the New York way” and are an “embarrassment to New York City.” 

Rapoport, speaking near Columbia University, said “as offensive as these people are across the street, agenda number one... is to free our hostages,” prompting a crowd to start chanting “bring them home!” 

"These are bullies. These are cowards. These are pathetic, low-life scumbags," Rapoport continued. "Agenda number one A is to eradicate Hamas to the very last one of them." 

"For all you Jewish younger people... be prouder, be louder than you've ever been before about being Jewish,” Rapoport also said.  

"Do not be afraid of being Jewish, especially in New York City. Nobody should be afraid of what they are,” he added. “Their race, their religion, their sexuality in this city.” 

Protestors demonstrate at Columbia University on Thursday, April 18, in New York City. (AP/Joshua Briz)

A wealthy young woman who avoided prison time for a deadly 2020 crash that killed a Vermont couple was among 114 anti-Israel agitators arrested at Columbia University last week – enraging the victims' family.

Protests have been rocking the campus in recent days as anti-Israel sympathizers demand the Israeli military stop fighting back after Hamas terrorists launched an attack on the country in October.

Things have gotten so bad that a campus rabbi is urging Jewish students to leave amid concerns for their safety.

One of the protesters is Isabel Jennifer Seward, now 20, the New York Post revealed, citing arrest records. She was 16 when she allegedly drove over the double yellow lines and plowed into Chet and Connie Hawkins, 73 and 72. Police reports allege she made no effort to avoid the crash.

"She has no remorse, she received no punishment. She’s just prancing around Columbia with her Ivy League privilege," the couple's 49-year-old niece, Eve Taylor, told the Post Sunday. "After basically getting away with murder, she’s now promoting murder, with no understanding of what she’s promoting."

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said Monday that "there's been no credible threats to any particular group or individual coming from this protest or any other" at Columbia University, where anti-Israel demonstrations have been raging.

Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry added that the local bureau commander "has been in close contact with the school administration here, and they asked -- the only NYPD assistance that they have currently asked for -- is for us to patrol the outside, the outer perimeter of the school."

"We have received reports that Israeli students walking on campus had their flags taken away from them, snatched out of their hands. We also received reports that the Israeli students -- there were some hateful things that were said towards them and they want to know if that was a crime or not," Daughtry added. "But there has been we have received any reports of any physical harm against any student. However, if there's any student, Jewish or whoever that's been assaulted or wants to make a police report or wants to talk to the police, we encourage them to call 911."

Michael Gerber, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters, said Monday that “any kind of violence is not going to be tolerated” as anti-Israel demonstrations have upended Columbia University. 

"Any kind of property damage is not going it is not going to be tolerated,” he continued. “Any sort of criminality is not going to be tolerated. And that includes harassment or threats or menacing or stalking or anything like that that is not protected by the First Amendment.” 

Gerber earlier said "Columbia University is private property" and "absent some ongoing crime, we cannot just go on the Columbia campus as we see fit.” 

"It is up to the university to decide whether or not they want us on campus. As a general matter, Columbia University -- and this goes back many years -- does not want NYPD present on campus. That is their decision,” Gerber added. 

"Last week, on Thursday, they informed us that they had students who were trespassing. They asked us to come on the campus to take action, and we did,” he continued. “But that was an exceptional case in the normal course. They've made clear that we're not to be there.” 

The New York City Police Department is expected to hold a news conference in just minutes regarding recent anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University in Manhattan.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, during an interview on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in July 2023. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Republican congresswoman from New York is calling Monday for Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign over anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.

"It’s clear Columbia University President Shafik can’t get her school under control or protect her students & she should resign," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis wrote on X. "The gross antisemitism being displayed against Jewish students at Columbia University is horrific, unacceptable and the reason I introduced legislation to strip federal funding from colleges that blatantly allow antisemitism & don’t hold those responsible accountable."

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a fellow New York Republican, made a similar call on Sunday for Shafik to step down.

A Jewish student journalist at Yale University says a protester wielding a Palestinian flag jabbed her in the eye during a rowdy anti-Israel protest on campus Saturday evening and got away with it. 

Sahar Tartak, editor-in-chief of the Yale Free Press, had been covering the protest, which had drawn hundreds of students in support of Palestinians, when she says she was surrounded by a mob of protesters. 

"One of the students, whose face was covered in a keffiyeh, took a Palestinian flag that he was holding, waved it in my face and hit my left eye," Tartak said. 

Tartak tried to run after the assailant, but the human blockade prevented her from pursuing him because "they wanted to protect him." Others were laughing at her, and none made an effort to track him down, she said. 

"He had anonymity because of the keffiyeh. The organizers encourage anonymity at these events because it creates immunity, so that students can physically assault people like me and then get away with it," she said. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reiterated his criticisms of activists calling for cease-fire in Gaza, and slammed fellow Democrats for their "crazy" response to the attacks Iran has launched against Israel, in an interview with Fox Digital.

"It is not appropriate or legal or helpful to advance your argument if you show up in a Starbucks with a bullhorn and start yelling at people," he told Fox News Digital in a Friday interview. 

He also claimed such protests don't "make you noble."

"It just makes you an a--hole," Fetterman said. 

Since the onset of the war between Israel and terrorist group Hamas, anti-Israel demonstrations have erupted across the U.S. The protesters have gone to extreme lengths at times to telegraph their displeasure with U.S. policy in regard to Israel. Some have trespassed in government buildings, blocked high-traffic bridges and entered private businesses with bullhorns, chanting at employees. 

Columbia University student Andrew Parker Stein told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Monday that "I no longer feel physically safe on my campus” due to anti-Israel demonstrations there. 

Stein, speaking on the first day of Passover, said he and Jewish students came to the campus Saturday night to “sing songs of peace” to what has been described as a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” 

But on the way out, “a pro-Hamas mob started chasing us, calling us – in the middle of campus – calling us inbred, that we have no culture” and stole an Israeli flag from a student, he said. 

“They tried to light his flag on fire,” he said. “After that, on the way out, we were talking to public safety – they started following us on the way out – and public safety just shrugged their shoulders,” Stein added. “They are the ones who are responsible in protecting us." 

Fellow student Elisha Baker added that “we know that these are anti-Semites using anti-Semitic rhetoric” and “now we see what happens when you don’t shut down anti-Semitic rhetoric and you allow these people to feel entitled.” 

New York City police officers in riot gear stand guard as demonstrators chant slogans outside the Columbia University campus on Thursday, April 18,, in New York. (AP/Mary Altaffer)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday warned that the New York City Police Department "cannot have a presence" at Columbia University’s campus "unless specifically requested by senior university officials," decrying "professional agitators" and "antisemitism being spewed" at the Ivy League School. 

"I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus," Adams said, citing the example of a young woman holding a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating "Al-Qasam’s Next Targets." 

The Al-Qassam Brigade is the military wing of Hamas. 

The mayor noted another instance where a woman is literally yelling "We are Hamas," and another where groups of students are chanting "We don’t want no Zionists here."

"I condemn this hate speech in the strongest of terms. Supporting a terrorist organization that aims to kill Jews is sickening and despicable. As I have repeatedly said, hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law that is reported. Rest assured, the NYPD will not hesitate to arrest anyone who is found to be breaking the law," Adams continued. "We will not be a city of lawlessness, and those professional agitators seeking to seize the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow chaos and division in our city will not succeed."

Police were seen removing pro-Palestinian protesters camped out on Yale's campus on Monday. (WTIC)

Police began removing anti-Israel protesters from an encampment on Yale’s campus early Monday after a week of protests calling for the university to divest from military weapon manufacturers.

Between 40 and 45 protesters were arrested as police looked through tents set up in the encampment near Beinecke Plaza, Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell told the Yale Daily News reported. Beinecke Plaza is where more than 250 agitators had gathered Sunday night.

Protest organizers told the paper that at least some of those arrested are students. 

Campbell told the Yale Daily News that the arrested protesters would be charged with trespassing, a Class A misdemeanor, and would be released once they are processed. 

NYPD officers patrol as pro-Palestine protesters demonstrate outside of Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Columbia University President Dr. Nemat Shafik all classes will be held virtually on Monday. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)

Students at Columbia University were told in an overnight statement that all classes will be held virtually on Monday as anti-Israel protesters have taken over the campus, its president announced.

Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted in the early hours Monday morning, that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of agitators, who have formed an "encampment" on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants.

"I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," Shafik wrote. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas."

"We need a reset," she added. "To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.