Universities crack down on anti-Israel agitators as protesters call for 'amnesty'

Tulane University announced arrests have been made and students have been suspended as "unlawful" anti-Israel protests continue on the New Orleans campus.

In a letter to the community late Tuesday night, President Michael Fitts said there have been six arrests made and seven suspensions issued to students who "participated in this unlawful demonstration." There is an additional suspension pending.

Fitts added that the university is also investigating reports of employees participating in the demonstrations.

"We value free speech and have supported numerous lawful demonstrations throughout this year. But we remain opposed to trespassing, hate speech, antisemitism and bias against religious or ethnic groups. Harassment, intimidation, violence, and other criminal acts on any of our campuses will not be tolerated," he wrote.

Out of concerns for safety, Fitts said classes in Gibson, Tilton-Memorial and Dinwiddie halls will be remote on Wednesday. Classes and operations elsewhere on campus will continue as normal.

The lawn in front of Gibson Hall, on the St. Charles Avenue side, and parking in Cowen Circle are closed to all students, faculty and staff until further notice.

"The overwhelming majority of these protestors are unaffiliated with Tulane," Fitts wrote. "Security remains at its highest level throughout the university."

As anti-Israel protests continue at the University of Arizona, police clashed with demonstrators and began making arrests.

Police also fired rubber bullets and dispersed a type of gas at the encampment on campus, according to Tucson.com.

This comes shortly after university president Robert C. Robbins said in a statement that he directed university officials, campus police, Tucson Police and the Pima County Sheriff's Office to "immediately enforce campus use policies and all corresponding laws without further warning."

"The University will continue to act in the best interests of our students, faculty and staff to ensure their safety," the statement added.

State troopers were seen on campus with pepper ball guns and gas masks.

Demonstrators were initially given a 10:30 p.m. deadline to leave or face arrest, although arrests did not begin until much later.

Los Angeles city councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky spoke out on the violent demonstrations taking place at UCLA Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning shortly after Mayor Karen Bass' office announced Los Angeles police are responding to campus.

Yaroslavsky, who represents Los Angeles City Council District 5, said the clashes between anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters are out of control and have created an unsafe campus.

"Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe. I’m grateful to LAPD and Mayor Bass for stepping in to ensure the safety of everyone on campus," Yaroslavsky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

New York City Police Department officers tore down a Palestinian flag at City College of New York Wednesday morning and replaced it with an American flag after regaining control of campus following anti-Israel protests. (X/@NYPDDaughtry / Screenshot)

Officers with the New York City Police Department restored the American flag on the City College of New York campus after it was replaced with a Palestinian flag by anti-Israel agitators during a protest.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry applauded the move on X, formerly Twitter, at around 12:39 a.m. Wednesday – not long after officers gained control of the campus.

"An incredible scene and proud moment as we have assisted @CityCollegeNY in restoring order on campus, culminating in raising Old Glory once again on their campus flagpole," Daughtry wrote on X.

This is an excerpt from a report by Fox News Digital editor Elizabeth Pritchett.

Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images

Local and state police were noticeably absent from UCLA's campus overnight as violence ensued between anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel counter-protesters.

Dozens of pro-Israeli counter-protestors arrived around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the anti-Israel encampment before deploying fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray, KTLA reported.

Items were thrown and fights broke out during the violence.

University campus police, along with some medical personnel, showed up at the scene briefly before leaving.

Police told protesters at the University of Arizona shortly before midnight local time that they were "officially under arrest."

This, as dozens of SWAT and police officers in riot gear responded to the encampment on the university's campus, according to Tucson.com.

Protesters were observed throwing items at police and SWAT officers, who arrived at the encampment with guns carrying pepper balls, the outlet reported.

A pro-Israel student screamed to protesters about to be arrested not to "drop the soap," a reference to sexual assault in prisons.

The City University of New York (CUNY) said Tuesday morning that calling in the NYPD to respond to anti-Israel protests at City College (CCNY) was because of "specific and repeated acts of violence and vandalism" and not peaceful protests.

"Students have a right to demonstrate peacefully and exercise their First Amendment rights," the statement said. "Tuesday night's actions were taken in response to specific and repeated acts of violence and vandalism, not in response to peaceful protest. CUNY will continue working to keep our community free from violence, intimidation and harassment."

CUNY said it is committed to "maintaining a safe environment for students, faculty and the entire City College campus community, which also includes two public high schools and a daycare center."

"Over the past six days, a series of violent incidents occurred at CCNY that put public safety at risk," CUNY said in its statement. "This includes a fire Sunday night at the Marshak Science Building caused by use of a flare gun that brought FDNY to campus, clashes with public safety and, Tuesday night, an attempted break-in at Shepard Hall and a break-in at the Administration Building that included the vandalizing of offices and smashing glass doors."

Early Tuesday evening, a large group of demonstrators marched from Columbia University to the City College campus, according to the statement. CUNY public safety handled the initial response and arrested 25 people.

But as the crowd size grew, CUNY and CCNY leadership called the NYPD for assistance. Officers entered the campus at about 11:45 p.m. and arrested several people.

Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images

Violence broke out at an anti-Israel demonstration at UCLA overnight, including fights, items thrown and pepper spray being deployed.

A demonstrator shot off a can of pepper spray and objects were thrown during the protest, Fox 11 reported. A police expert told the outlet that "professional agitators" appeared to be on the scene.

Fireworks were also among the items thrown during the protest.

Police arrived on campus to respond to the violence.

Anti-Israel demonstrators at the University of Arizona were ordered to leave the encampment on campus immediately or face arrest for trespassing or other violations of state law.

The protesters were given a deadline of 10:30 p.m. local time to leave the area. And at 10:30 p.m., they were warned of possible arrest, Tucson.com reported.

SWAT trucks and dozens of police officers and first responders were observed by Centennial Hall.

There have been no arrests thus far, even after the deadline has passed. Police are giving demonstrators a final opportunity to leave as they attempt to negotiate with demonstrators, who continue to stand firm.

Shortly before the deadline, protest organizers were handing out supplies to use in preparation for potential pepper spray or tear gas used by police.

"Help us build our barricade. Help us be ready to combat the police," an organizer said earlier into a megaphone, about an hour and a half before the deadline.

Former President Trump condemned the anti-Israel throngs at Columbia University Tuesday as they began to feel the power of the NYPD after the department received permission from administrators to move in on the demonstrations and made arrests.

Trump also took umbrage at certain Jewish politicians who he said have not been at the forefront of joining him in condemnation of the protests and threats against Jews on campus.

"I'm watching Jewish politicians abandon Israel — I've seen it, you've seen it," he told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

"Where is Schumer? Why isn't Schumer speaking up? He was always out there in front — because he's looking at votes, I guess. And I guess he's looking at maybe more votes than [those that] represent Israel," Trump said of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Fox News Digital reporter Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Getty Images

A free speech expert from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) said while peaceful protests on college campuses must be supported, some behaviors by demonstrators at Columbia University in New York in recent days are not covered by the First Amendment.

Alex Morey, who leads FIRE’s Campus Rights Advocacy program, made the comments in response to anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University, who in the past day have occupied a campus building and prevented a facility worker from leaving, broken windows and blocked students from attending classes.

"Occupying a campus building, blocking students from attending classes, and vandalizing property is not protected by the First Amendment," Morey said in a statement. "Peaceful protest has long been a mainstay on college campuses and it must be supported. What’s happened at Columbia in the last 24 hours is not peaceful protest."

New York City Police officers began arresting anti-Israel protesters at City College, and campus operations were moved online until further notice.

Demonstrators protested the police closing down the Hamilton Heights campus overnight. Protesters at one of the college's entrance gates ignited flares, bright red and smoky in response to the police clearing out an encampment that had been on campus for days, as well as the closing of the school's campus, according to ABC 7.

Hundreds of officers were seen on campus to address the demonstrations.

People are allowed to leave campus but may not return.

In an emergency message, City College President Vince Boudreau told the college's cohmmunity that all campus operations would be online until further notice, beginning Wednesday.

"Given the situation, we are moving all Wednesday classes and work to remote, remaining remote until conditions permit a return to normal business operations," Boudreau said. "We are also urging all members of our community to stay away from campus."

California Polytechnic State University at Humboldt continues its cleanup and recovery process following the illegal occupation of two campus buildings and surrounding areas since Monday, April 22, the university said Tuesday evening.

"Facilities teams are working to clear Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East of garbage, and are beginning to paint over graffiti on the exterior of vandalized buildings as University Police continue to assess the scope of the damage," the university said in a statement.

The university confirmed that its campus police have arrested 32 individuals since the early morning operation by law enforcement. Of those, 13 are students, one is a faculty member, and 18 are not students there.

The operation was conducted without incident and no reported injuries, and the university continues the hard closure of campus through May 10. The university will hold a modified in-person commencement with local ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

As the NYPD raided Columbia University on Tuesday evening after hundreds of students took over Hamilton hall on campus after weeks of unrest, House Speaker Mike Johnson says President Biden is hiding out and avoiding his responsibilities.

"Amid the absolute chaos at Columbia University, Joe Biden is absent because he is afraid to face the issue," Johnson wrote in a post on X. "Meanwhile, House Republicans are leading the effort to investigate these institutions for their failure to protect Jewish students and maintain order on campus."

Fox News confirmed Tuesday night that NYPD officers used at least four distraction devices to clear Hamilton Hall at Columbia University of anti-Israel agitators.

Distraction devices used by police are typically light-sound devices like flashbangs. Some consist of a powder charge in a canister.

Student radio station WKCR previously reported that tear gas had been deployed on protesters, but Fox News has learned that tear gas was not used.

The Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine shared video on X of NYPD raiding the campus amid weeks of unrest and claim it will not stop them. "University from the vantage point of John Jay, where students and press have been BARRICADED INTO THE BUILDING. DISCLOSE, DIVEST, WE WILL NOT STOP WE WILL NOT REST," the group wrote.

Former President Trump told Sean Hannity Tuesday night Biden has to  "strengthen up and he's gotta be heard" when it comes to campus protests.

As arrests were being made on Columbia's campus, Trump also commented on the possibility that most of the "protesters" are professional.

"Well I really think you have paid agitators here, Trump told Hannity. "These are all signs that are identical made by the same printer." 

Trump also said Columbia University should have called in the police sooner. 

"It should have never gotten to this," the GOP frontrunner said. "They should have done it a lot sooner before they took over the building."

Video captured for Fox News Digital showed NYPD officers arresting anti-Israel protesters off the campus of Columbia University in zip-tie handcuffs Tuesday night.

At least three protesters were seen being walked off campus by officers.

The protesters were being brought onto 114th St, between Columbus and Amsterdam where large NYPD buses were waiting.

This comes as NYPD officers began working to clear Hamilton Hall on campus.

The building was occupied by protesters Tuesday.

"We believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University," the school said in a statement Tuesday night.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said New York City Mayor Eric and Columbia University's leadership will be responsible if any students are injured Tuesday night.

"If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ presidents," the New York Democrat said. "Other leaders and schools have found a safe, de-escalatory path. This is the opposite of leadership and endangers public safety. A nightmare in the making. I urge the Mayor to reverse course."

NYPD officers climbed through a window of a building at Columbia University, which had been occupied by students and other anti-Israel agitators for nearly 24 hours.

Columbia says decision to bring in the NYPD was made early this morning. ”we were left with no choice.  We believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University.” The school says A little after 9 p.m. this evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the University’s request. "This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community," the school said. 

"We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions. After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice. Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation," the school continued.

In a post on X, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said this is now the second time that Columbia has called the police on its own students.

"TO BE CLEAR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HAS CALLED THE COPS ONTO ITS OWN STUDENTS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO WEEKS, ON THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THEY LAST CALLED THE POLICE ONTO CAMPUS TO ARREST OVER 700 PROTESTING THE VIETNAM WAR & HARLEM GENTRIFICATION ON APRIL 30TH, 1968," the post read. 

NYPD officers deployed tear gas on anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University, according to reports from WKCR radio.

NYPD began moving in on protesters around 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

They appeared to focus their efforts on clearing Hamilton Hall on campus. Protesters were occupying the building on Tuesday.

Protesters were seen flying a Palestinian flag from a window.

The student radio station reported that a person was seen on the ground outside the hall.

A fire alarm was heard going off inside the building, according to the radio report.

Former Congressman and New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin wrote in a post on X that it's time to take back Hamilton Hall. "The NYPD is capable of quickly and efficiently dismantling the Hamas allied stronghold at Columbia University.  Time to take back Hamilton Hall," Zeldin wrote.

"Arrests should be made and anyone here on a visa should be immediately deported."

According to radio reports from WKCR live from Columbia University, NYPD officers were using sledgehammers to break down barricades at Hamilton Hall.

Hamilton Hall was occupied by anti-Israel protesters at the school on Monday.

According to WKCR, police entered the hall just before 9:30pm and began pulling students out.

NYPD officers climb through the windows of Hamilton Hall (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Columbia student radio is reporting the NYPD Emergency Services Unit is entering Hamilton Hall through windows. The building has been occupied by anti-Israel agitators since early Tuesday morning.  The officers are using a bearcat vehicle to enter through the second floor windows.  

NYPD officers in riot gear entered Columbia University late Tuesday where anti-Israel protesters have occupied a building.

The NYPD confirmed that an operation had commenced hours after students had been warned to shelter in place. University faculty had received an alert of ‘imminent police action.

”New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned students earlier to leave immediately, signaling that a police operation may be forthcoming.

Dozens of protesters took over Hamilton Hall on Columbia's campus, barricading entrances and hanging a “Free Palestine” banner from a window as administrators warn that they face expulsion for doing so. Protesters insist they will remain at the hall until the university agrees to three demands: divestment from Israel and companies supporting the war in Gaza, financial transparency and amnesty for protesters.

The NYPD has begun mass arrests outside the City College of New York after anti-Israel protester breached a police line and stormed a building that had been occupied.

The scene came after a tense standoff between protesters and police officers, while NYPD officers in riot gear moved in on protesters at Columbia University down the road. 

Columbia University faculty on Tuesday received a notice of imminent police action as NYPD officers closed in on anti-Israel protests that have brought the campus to a standstill in recent weeks.

Joseph A. Howley, an associate professor at the university posted the text of his message on X.

“At this hour, the NYPD is massing on barricaded streets outside the gates of Columbia University. Columbia faculty have spent the day offering our help to defuse the situation on Columbia’s campus and have been rebuffed or ignored. We have been locked out of our campus and have demanded to be allowed back in, and have been rebuffed or ignored. This is not new. Columbia faculty have attempted for the past two weeks to intervene in the situation, only to be shut out by senior University leadership.

“NYPD presence in our neighborhood endangers our entire community. Armed police entering our campus places students and everyone else on campus at risk. That is why University statutes require consultation with faculty — statutes which appear to have been ignored since April 17, and again tonight. We hold University leadership responsible for the disastrous lapses of judgment that have gotten us to this point. The University President, her senior staff, and the Board of Trustees will bear responsibility for any injuries that may occur during any police action on our campus.” 

Tensions escalated between anti-Israel protesters and NYPD officers outside the City College of New York late Tuesday.

Video footage circulating online showed protesters shouting “From the walls to the gate, it is time to escalate!” and chanting "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as they rushed a police line outside an encampment on the school.

Others were shouting for officers to release a protester who had been arrested.

The scenes unfolded as protesters continuing an ongoing occupation of a building at Columbia University about a mile down the road. 

The NYPD closed off streets around Columbia University as officers in riot gear moved in on the school where protesters have occupied Hamilton Hall in ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations.

The scenes comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned that outside agitators had co-opted the protesters and warned participants to leave the area immediately.

Dozens of protesters took over the building early Tuesday, barricading entrances and unfurling a Palestinian flag from a window. The school promised they would face expulsion.

The National Students for Justice in Palestine, meanwhile, tweeted for everyone in NYC: “COME TO COLUMBIA RIGHT NOW.” 

Columbia subsequently issued a shelter-in-place alert "due to heightened activity on the Morningside campus."

The notice warned that non-compliance may result in "disciplinary action. Avoid the area until further notice."

A student at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was wearing a necklace with the Star of David was seen on video trying to get through a wall of what looked to be masked anti-Israel protesters, before being blocked while a security guard stood by and watched.

In an Instagram video, the poster, Eli Tsives, was seen walking up to a group of masked individuals, one of whom was wearing a "Free Palestine" sweatshirt.

"You guys have closed the entrance. We are UCLA students. I have my ID right here. I’m being blocked off, not by the security guard, but by you three," Tsives said as he walked up to a fenced area with a security guard present. "They’re making a barrier wall. I’m going this way."

Tsives tried to work his way around the three women, but they moved to block him from entering.

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

UT Austin tells FOX 7 that the majority of protesters who were arrested Monday after taking part in anti-Israel protesters on campus were not affiliated with the school.

A university source told the outlet that 79 in total were arrested, including 45 unaffiliated with the school, and 34 students.

That’s in line with the total number of arrests disclosed by Travis County Attorney Delia Garza earlier Tuesday, though she did not comment on the ratio of students to non-students who were arrested. 

Officials at Travis County Jail contradicted Garza's statements earlier that the arrest had bogged down resources, telling FOX 7 that they are busy but not overwhelmed.

A professor at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt who was among dozens of anti-Israel student protesters arrested for occupying a building has reportedly refused bail and has started a hunger strike to demand that all charges be dropped.

Law enforcement officers arrested 25 people who had barricaded themselves inside two administrative buildings – which they dubbed “Intifada Hall.”

Those arrested face charges of unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, and assault of police officers.

Among them was Dr. Rouhollah Aghasaleh who, according to the Sacramento Bee and LA Times, is refusing “to accept the label of criminal for standing up for an ethical reason.”

“Our arrest on a stolen land and in a place that we consider home is an act of violence,” he said in statement.

Aghasaleh’s scholarship “lies at the intersection of critical pedagogies, cultural studies of curriculum, and feminist queer studies that addresses issues of equity and its impact on the education system,” according to Humboldt’s website.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Cal Poly Humboldt for comment.

A student protester waves a Palestinian flag above Hamilton Hall on the campus of Columbia University, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. Early Tuesday, dozens of protesters took over Hamilton Hall, locking arms and carrying furniture and metal barricades to the building. Columbia responded by restricting access to campus. (Pool Photo/Mary Altaffer)

One of the Columbia University students who bravely tried to stop a mob of anti-Israel protesters from taking over an academic building last night tells Fox News Digital they tried to delay the agitators long enough so that police or security could arrive on the scene to back them up – but ultimately neither of them showed.

Rory Wilson, a 22-year-old history senior, says he is furious that the takeover occurred under the university police's watch and that the NYPD never arrived despite students saying they called 911. 

Wilson had been asleep in his dorm after midnight when his friends woke him up to say that protesters were targeting a takeover of Hamilton Hall, an academic building used by the dean and other senior offices.

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

Travis County Attorney Delia Garza (Travis County, Texas)

Travis County Attorney Delia Garza on Tuesday provided an update on arrests in connection with anti-Israel protests on the campus of UT Austin.

Seventy-nine people have been arrested, Delia said, and her office has received 65 cases for criminal trespass. She would not comment on which arrestees were students and which were not affiliated with the university.

Garza complained that the arrests have bogged down resources, saying her office “is presented with this tremendous strain.”

“The manner in which this is being handled is also having a great impact on our law enforcement resources. When large numbers of officers, for example, are sent to assist and rather protesters for criminal trespass charges. That means less officers available for other calls like domestic violence assaults,”

Garza took aim at university administrators, whom she appeared to suggest bore some responsibility for letting the protests spiral out of control.

“There are other universities that have been able to have peaceful protests. There was one at Texas State yesterday. There’s been peaceful protests throughout the state and in our country. And so I think there’s a way forward,” Garza said. “But what we’re seeing right now does not seem sustainable.”

Garza did not mention that police found baseball-size rocks in some of the tents at the encampments on Monday, or that the university said it issued multiple warnings to the protesters for violating campus rules.

Garza also appeared to suggest that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was fanning the flames, commenting, “I don’t know where he is – tweeting – or whatever he’s doing to escalate the situation … protests are a hallmark of our democracy.”

OPINION: Starting at Columbia University and spreading across elite universities, pro-Hamas protesters have taken over their campuses, erecting tent cities and blocking the normal operations of their schools. Worse, they have targeted Jewish students with threats of violence, organized human chains to push "Zionists" out of public spaces and sent a Jewish student to the hospital after stabbing her in the eye with a Palestinian flag.  

These are not peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights. These are spoiled and entitled kids cosplaying at being revolutionaries while expecting hard-working taxpayers to foot the bill. And they are being facilitated in this revolutionary fantasy by spoiled and entitled universities that are similarly awash in the cash they get from taxpayers.  

You may have thought that universities were places where students take classes, study and prepare for productive lives as responsible citizens, but that’s not what elite colleges currently look like. The average college student spends less than three hours per day either in class or studying.  

This is an excerpt of an opinion piece by Jay P. Greene for Fox News Digital. Click here to read the full article.

Anti-Israel agitators hang banners from occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University. (Rashid Umar Abbassi for Fox News Digital)

Protesters at Columbia University who have occupied Hamilton Hall unfurled a new banner on Tuesday from a window in the building.

The banner reads, "Glory to the martyrs." It also has a message in Spanish: "Tortuguita Vive la lucha sigue," which translated means, "Tortuguita lives, the fight continues." 

The banner depicts the face of Manuel Paez Terán, also known as "Tortuguita," an Atlanta-based anti-cop activist who was killed for allegedly firing upon law enforcement during a "Cop City" altercation last year. "Cop City" is a derogatory name for the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a training facility for police and first responders scheduled to open later this year. 

Last year, Atlanta police identified more than two dozen "Cop City" demonstrators brought up on domestic terrorism charges, and the Georgia attorney general warned protesters seeking to disrupt construction that authorities "will not back down from violent extremists from Georgia, Maine, Oregon or elsewhere who seek to stop us." 

In March, another two "Cop City" protesters climbed a construction crane in downtown Atlanta to hang a sign that read "Drop Cop City," though the pair was hit with trespassing charges, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

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

Pro-Israel demonstrators play a video called 'This is Hamas' across from the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) on April 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Pro-Palestinian protests continue across US college campuses. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

Pro-Israel counter-protesters installed a large screen and loudspeakers on UCLA's campus to loop video footage from the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. 

The video shows Hamas terrorists commit atrocities against Israelis while anti-Israel protesters on campus set up an encampment to demand the school divest from Israel. Pro-Hamas slogans have been heard at similar protests on college campuses nationwide. 

In a statement on Monday, UCLA officials said they were taking extra security steps after physical altercations broke out between groups on campus. 

"UCLA has a long history of peaceful protest and we are heartbroken to report that yesterday, some physical altercations broke out among demonstrators on Royce Quad," the university said.

"We have since instituted additional security measures and increased the numbers of our safety team members on site, including our uniformed Student Affairs Mitigators (SAMs), Public Safety Aides (PSAs), CSC and campus security," the statement continued. 

"As an institution of higher education, we stand firmly for the idea that even when we disagree, we must still engage respectfully and recognize one another's humanity. We are dismayed that yesterday certain individuals instead chose to jeopardize the physical safety of the community."

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., a vocal supporter of Israel, condemned violence at Columbia University after protesters broke into Hamilton Hall and occupied the building.

"So much for 'peaceful protests' at Columbia University," said Torres, posting video on X of masked individuals smashing windows at Hamilton Hall. 

"Violence is not a bug but a feature of the pro-Hamas encampment movement, which has a deep rot of Anti-Americanism and AntiSemitism at its core." 

In other X posts, he called out protesters for using the term "intifada" and "glorifying terrorism." 

"The Second Intifada refers to a wave of terror attacks and suicide bombings against Israeli civilians and children," Torres wrote.  "If you are glorifying terrorism as ‘resistance’ and chanting ‘globalize the Intifada,’ you are not an anti-war protestor. You are pro-war and pro-terror."

Torres, whose district encompasses Columbia University, is the cosponsor of legislation that would give the U.S. Department of Education the power to impose a third-party antisemitism monitor to colleges receiving federal funding.

Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this update.

House Oversight Committee member Jared Moskowitz , D-Fla., warned his own party Monday against remaining silent as left-wing student activists engage in antisemitic protest, with some calling for the eradication of the Jewish state and urging Jews to "go back to Poland."

Moskowitz, whose Broward County district has been home to a reported 89,000 Jewish adults, said on "Your World" antisemitism must be condemned whether it comes from the right or left.

He noted that after the 2017 Charlottesville, Va., incident, the right-wing, neo-Nazi contingent of the demonstrators was widely condemned across the political spectrum. In that case, a protest against the removal of a Confederate statue unraveled into chaos and left one woman dead.

"I've compared this situation to what happened a couple of years ago in Charlottesville because there, obviously, we had people with tiki torches shouting, ‘Jews shall not replace us’. And there was wide condemnation from the Democratic Party. There was no splitting of hairs there," he said.

"[In the college protests] we don't have Aryan men with tiki torches: We have a diverse group of people; diverse ages; college students shouting, you know, ‘kill all the Zionists’ or ‘go back to Poland’. And, you know, we don't seem to have the same condemnation from my side," he said.

Moskowitz said it is much easier for fellow Democrats to call out right-wing vitriol but that too many on the left want to "pretend like that's not happening" at places like Columbia University.

"And so that's why I think it's important, regardless of where we see antisemitism on the left or on the right, we call it out. We don't play this tribal game that just because it's on my side, we're silent."

Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this update.

Conservative and free speech advocacy groups are warily eyeing a new bipartisan push in Congress to hire antisemitism monitors for colleges and universities that receive federal dollars.

"These antisemitism monitors are not novel. For the last 10 or so years, college bureaucrats have created bias reporting systems, which have been used to cancel students accused of ‘wrongthink.' Not only are these systems unconstitutional, but they unnecessarily chill speech and punish innocent students. Combating antisemitism is important, but speech monitors are not the answer," said Gabriel Nadales, national director of Our America.

He said the proposal "will be used to silence honest voices and create more division among college students," adding, "Americans should fight bigotry without sacrificing free expression."

The COLUMBIA Act was introduced Friday by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., amid a rash of anti-Israel protests on college campuses throughout the country.

The wave of progressive activism was sparked after more than 100 students from Columbia University and its sister school, Barnard College, were arrested this month at a tent encampment set up on campus in protest of the Manhattan Ivy League's investments in Israeli-linked companies.

Demonstrations at Columbia and elsewhere have faced bipartisan criticism for instances of antisemitism being displayed on campuses, causing Jewish students to fear for their safety.

Under Lawler and Torres' bill, the Department of Education would be able to "impose a third-party antisemitism monitor on any college or university receiving federal funding," according to a press release. The college or university would be responsible for footing the bill for the duration of the monitor's duties there.

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

More than 1,600 Columbia University alumni have called on the school administration to put an immediate stop to the antisemitic protests on campus.

In an open letter to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, the Board of Trustees and other members of the Columbia community, the alumni cite instances of antisemitic hatred directed at Jewish students, including statements by the protest organizer who said, "Zionists don't deserve to live." 

"These incidents have been recorded and documented. We insist Columbia immediately restore safety for all students without exception by enforcing zero-tolerance against antisemitism," the alumni wrote on Monday. "Columbia must remove illegal encampments and take swift and strong disciplinary action against students engaged in hate speech, threats, and criminal conduct. Empty rhetoric is inadequate. Jewish students require more robust action to feel secure, and all students deserve a campus where activities core to the university’s mission proceed free of disruption.

The alumni added that the university's "current approach of placating the agents of disruption is demonstrably not working." 

Anti-Israel protests escalated into chaos on Columbia University's campus in the early hours of Tuesday morning as protesters smashed windows and infiltrated historic Hamilton Hall in footage caught on camera. 

Jessica Schwalb, who witnessed the scene and captured it for the entire world, says silence from law enforcement and campus leadership has left students feeling alone.

"[It was] almost like a scene from 'The Shining,'" she told "Fox & Friends" of the window-smashing.

"I also saw a student who was trying to prevent them from continuing to barricade the doors, and then he was essentially corralled by another human chain of pro-Palestinian protesters and basically lifted up and shoved out and called a Zionist. He was physically assaulted," she continued. 

"And again, there's utter silence from public safety, from NYPD, so we feel alone on this campus."

Demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall Tuesday, rebranding the building – originally named after Founding Father Alexander Hamilton – as "Hind's Hall" in honor of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who died in Gaza earlier this year amid Israel's war with Hamas. 

Jonas Du, editor-in-chief of campus publication the Columbia Sundial, also joined "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday to give his account of the escalation. He told Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt the entire scene was "surreal."

"I was in Butler Library, our main library, getting ready for finals, finishing up an assignment. I walk out, the encampment is alive, everyone's marching around, and everyone's saying they're going to occupy Hamilton Hall. And instantly I knew that this was an escalation, because back in 1968, this was the big event that put Columbia on the map in terms of being a very activist school, and it really did a lot of harm to the university's reputation."

Du's remark hearkened back to anti-Vietnam War protests from 1968, when demonstrators similarly took over the building.  

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

Faculty members at Columbia University were seen blocking certain students and press from entering the school's anti-Israel encampment until police were called on Monday as thousands descended on the New York City campus. 

Fox News Digital witnessed Avi Weinberg, an economics student at Columbia, leading a small group of his Jewish classmates all trying to enter the encampment on the South Lawn. 

However, Columbia faculty, wearing orange high-visibility safety vests with taped "faculty" and "staff" labels on their backs, were seen locking arms as they patrolled who was allowed in. 

"Students who have only slept here are allowed in," one woman told the group. 

The woman got into a combative exchange with one of the students, insisting she knew who had and hadn't slept in the encampment and refused to let them in. The human chain of faculty then turned their backs to the students, who in turn called the police. 

"We have to abide by university policy!" Weinberg shouted. "We should all be able to go on that lawn!"

Faculty refused to answer when asked why the students were not being let on the lawn. Members of the crowd suggested it was unfair that faculty were determining who could and could not go into the area when it is part of the university campus they pay to attend. 

Fox News Digital was told that the outlet was not allowed inside, and only student press could access the gated lawn. A local ABC team and several independent reporters were also denied. However, Fox News Digital witnessed a documentary crew and a reporter from Al Jazeera reporting inside the area. Individuals who wore headscarves or waved Palestinian flags were seen moving freely between the encampment and the surrounding campus lawn throughout the day..

Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum, Joseph A. Wulfsohn, and Kira Mautone contributed to this update.

Fox News correspondent Ashley Strohmier reports on Liberty University's response to anti-Israel protests growing on college campuses on "Fox News @ Night."

Alex Kent/Getty Images

A facilities worker who was inside as anti-Israel protesters took over a building at Columbia University managed to exit the building after demanding the agitators allow him to leave.

The worker exited the building at around 12:40 a.m. after yelling at protesters occupying the Hamilton lobby, demanding they let him go, according to the Columbia Spectator.

As he was leaving Hamilton, the worker struck a person's camera in the crowd and yelled, "They held me hostage!"

"Fox News @ Night" panelists Dr. Sheila Nazarian and Shahar Azani discuss anti-Israel protests on college campuses nationwide.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said early Monday morning that anti-Israel protesters at Virginia colleges and universities violated the policies of their institution and endangered public safety.

"Across the Commonwealth we’ve seen student and significant non-student participants, throw projectiles at law enforcement, violate the policies of our colleges and universities, obstruct and disrupt student life and endanger public safety," Youngkin said in a statement posted to X.

"After repeated warnings and refusal to disperse, law enforcement must protect Virginians," he continued. "My administration will continue to fully support campus, local and state law enforcement and university leadership to keep our campuses safe."

Police declared an unlawful assembly on the University of Utah campus Monday night in response to anti-Israel demonstrations.

Protesters were told to disperse or be subject to arrest, according to the university.

"Students, faculty, staff and community members, you have the right to express your viewpoint and we have heard you," the University of Utah said in a statement. "You do not, however, have the right to set up structures or camp overnight."

The university announced that 17 people had been arrested as of 11:45 p.m. local time.

No protesters were injured but one police officer was injured.

A hatchet was also confiscated.

Officers removed and dismantled about a dozen tents, stashes of water bottles, food and toilet paper, the university said. The crowd moved west toward University Street and 1300 East and many demonstrators broke down their own tents and drove away.

"Utah college campuses around the state are not exempt from the significant unrest that currently exists in our country and world," U chief safety officer Keith Squires said around midnight. "Campuses serve as a stage and forum for not just students, but for members of the community who want their voice to be heard. We honor all voices, but the right to speech on our campus must occur within the confines of state law and campus policies."

Final exams will continue on Tuesday.

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Columbia University sent an email to the student body Monday night notifying them that it has begun suspending students involved in the anti-Israel protests on campus, but that students who left and signed a form agreeing to follow university policies may complete the semester.

The university had requested that protesters remove the encampment in the west section of South Lawn, as the "activities in this area have created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams of our professors and students," the email said.

Students in the encampment who failed to leave by 2 p.m. Monday were informed that the university would initiate disciplinary procedures over several violations of university policies, which students agreed to follow when they enrolled.

The university said students who agreed to leave the encampment and sign a form committing to follow university policies would be allowed to complete the semester, the email said. But students who refused would be suspended, ineligible to complete the semester or graduate and would be restricted from all academic, residential and recreational spaces.

The email said the university began suspending students as part of the "next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus." Students were also given an explanation of the process for appealing a suspension.

Columbia said it remains committed to ensuring that all Commencement ceremonies "run smoothly and that all our students and their families and friends get the celebration they deserve."

University President Minouche Shafik said earlier on Monday that the university does not want to "deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration. Please recall that many in this graduating class did not get a celebration when graduating from high school because of the pandemic, and many of them are the first in their families to earn a University degree. We owe it to all of our graduates and their loved ones to honor their achievement. We want to reassure our community who are trying to make plans that we will indeed hold a Commencement."

Virginia Commonwealth University announced Monday night that anti-Israel demonstrators on campus had "violated several university policies" and were instructed to leave the area.

"Final exams begin this week and VCU must provide students the opportunity to safely and successfully complete the semester. The gathering violated several university policies," VCU said in a statement.

The university said it "respectfully and repeatedly" provided opportunities for demonstrators to grab their belongings and leave, noting that many of the protesters were not students. The university said anyone who refused to leave was subject to arrest for trespassing.

"While supporting an environment that fosters protected speech and expressive activity, VCU must maintain an atmosphere free of disruption to the university's mission," the statement said.

VCU Police said at 10:20 p.m. that officers responded to the VCU Compass and urged people to avoid the area.

Clio Hall at Princeton University (Oliver Morris/Getty Images)

Prince University’s Public Safety officers on Monday arrested students who occupied Clio Hall, per the school’s paper, the Princeton Tory.

Multiple students who occupied the building were reportedly placed into a campus bus, which was later surrounded by protesters. The arrestees were later released but barred from campus and given a court summons. The Tory reports that Public Safety will do likewise for the protesters still inside Clio Hall.

Students surrounding the building, meanwhile, have been warned to disperse so that those inside can be detained.

After all “occupiers” were release with summonses, protesters moved their encampment to Cannon Green, which is behind Nassau Hall. 

The University of Florida said Monday that anti-Israel protesters were given plenty of warnings to comply before they were arrested.

“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences,” said university spokesman Steve Orlando.

He noted that protesters – many of whom are outside agitators – were told they could exercise their right to free speech and free assembly.

“We also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university,” Orlando said. “For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.”

UT Austin said Monday that the university and its law enforcement partners dismantled an encampment after anti-Israel protesters ignored repeated directives to comply with the rules and then physically and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who were attempting to remove tents.

In a statement obtained by FOX 7, the university said it received online threats over the weekend from a group organizing Monday’s protest. Those threats have been reported to local, state and federal law-enforcement.

“Since October and prior to April 24, no fewer than 13 pro-Palestinian free speech events were held on the UT campus, and four since then, largely without incident,” the university said. “The university will continue to support the free speech and assembly rights of our community while also enforcing its Institutional Rules."

"After protesters ignored repeated directives from both the administration and law enforcement officers to comply with Institutional Rules and remove tents assembled on the University’s South Lawn, then physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them, UT and partner law enforcement agencies dismantled an encampment and arrested several protesters. Baseball size rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment. The majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university.

On Saturday, the University received extensive online threats from a group organizing today’s protest. These threats have been reported to local, state and federal law-enforcement. Since October and prior to April 24, no fewer than 13 pro-Palestinian free speech events were held on the UT campus, and four since then, largely without incident. The university will continue to support the free speech and assembly rights of our community while also enforcing its Institutional Rules."

A Jewish student at Columbia University in New York City filed a class action lawsuit against the learning institution on Monday, alleging the university failed to provide a safe environment for its students.

Along with filing the lawsuit, the student is also seeking an emergency injunction, requiring the university to enforce its Statement of Ethical Conduct and Administrative Code of Conduct to provide safe and secure access to education, free from harassment and discrimination, to allow the student and her peers to safely complete the semester in person.

The lawsuit – filed by a second-year female Jewish student at Columbia University, who is identified as C.S. – opens by acknowledging the importance of free and spirited debate on college campuses, adding that it is a unique American value and gives students the opportunity to learn how to analyze various viewpoints while developing positions and advocating for them.

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

Police clash with protesters at UT Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman/USA Today Network via REUTERS)

Anti-Israel demonstrations at UT Austin reignited early Monday evening hours after protesters were arrested and forced off the university’s south lawn, a source tells Fox News Digital.  

Mobs of protesters were reportedly moving to the university Tower, which houses the university president and other administration faculty. Another group was seen trying to block a bus exiting the campus

.Police officers on the scene resorted to deploying mace and using tear gas against some of the protesters who marched ahead, defying orders to retreat.

The chaotic scenes come hours after dozens of protesters were taken into custody following the Austin Police Department’s dispersal order against protesters gathered on the South Mall.    

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Monday suggest that any students who promote terrorism or engage terrorist acts on behalf of Hamas to be immediately “added to the terrorist watch list and place on the TSA No Fly List.” 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged several questions during a press briefing on Monday, regarding the responses of many universities in the U.S. as anti-Israel protests, which sometimes turn violent, continue to flare up.

Colleges from coast to coast, including many Ivy League schools like Columbia, Yale, Harvard and Penn, have seen dayslong protests on campuses, with students demanding their schools completely divest from Israel as the death toll in Gaza continues to increase.

One reporter on Monday asked Jean-Pierre whether President Biden or anyone else in the White House had spoken with leadership at Columbia University, and if the president was happy with how school administrators are handling the situation.

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

Student protesters march round their encampment on the Columbia University campus, Monday, April 29, 2024, in New York. Protesters of the war in Gaza who are encamped at Columbia University have defied a deadline to disband with chants, clapping and drumming. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Columbia University late Monday afternoon said it had begun suspending students who participated in anti-Israel protests and defied an order to clear encampments by 2 p.m.

A university spokesperson condemned antisemitic language and calls for violence as “simply abhorrent.” He said that academic leaders have been negotiating with protesters since last Wednesday but have been unable to reach an agreement.

“As the message indicated, the encampment, has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams,” he said, adding that professors and students as well as “external actors” have contributed to creating a hostile environment.

The university spokesman said that the students who agreed to leave the encampment by the deadline will be able to complete the semester, while those who did not will be placed on suspension and ineligible to complete a semester or graduate and restricted from all academic, residential, and recreational spaces.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., weighed in on the anti-Israel demonstrations that have swept college campuses nationwide.

On Monday, the Republican Senator wrote on X that students who participate ought to be expelled, the faculty fired, and the National Guard sent in to protect Jewish students on Campus.   

Jewish students at UT Austin are speaking out against anti-Israel protests that have disrupted campus activities over the week prior.

One student said he was taking his final when he could hear the chants of protesters in the background.

“They’re trying to scare Jews off campus,” he said. “I’m trying to do my final in the background and I hear their chanting for the death of Israel, the death of Jews. It’s completely unacceptable. If they want peace, they don’t stand for anything like it.”

The student, like other Jews interviewed, was defiant that he would not be intimidated by the protesters.

“We will not be led like lambs to the slaughter,” one said. “This whole thing is a huge scare tactic,” said another.

Another said they were “blessed” to be at a school that didn’t hesitate to send in a police force.   

A statue of George Washington University draped in a Palestinian flag (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Israel protesters at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. on Monday draped a Palestinian flag and a keffiyeh over a statue of the first U.S. president.

The statue stands in the middle of a makeshift encampment, where protesters have assembled in recent days, calling for their university to cut all ties with Israel and lift a suspension against a prominent pro-Palestinian student group. A plaque at the base of the statue was covered in graffiti, reading: “Genocidal Warmongering University.”

Around 50 GWU students at GWU set up a tent encampment on the school’s University Yard last Thursday. Later in the day, a group of Georgetown University students and professors staged their own protest walkout and marched to the George Washington campus to join them. 

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Monday accused Columbia University of acquiescing to anti-Israel protesters after they defied a 2 p.m. deadline to clear demonstrations on campus.

The Republican congresswoman said the university’s “empty threats and weak leadership have failed and surrendered to the pro-Hamas antisemitic mob.”

“The world is watching you as you continue to fail your Jewish students,” she wrote on X. “Congress will continue to hold these failed institutions accountable.”

Protests at Columbia University (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

State troopers have closed in on anti-Israel protesters on the campus of UT Austin, leading to arrests. Meanwhile, anti-Israel protesters on the campus of Columbia University have defied a deadline to disband demonstrations.

Per the Daily Texas, Austin police officers have entered the encampment and ziptied at least two protesters and state troopers have created a hole for APD to enter while continuing to encircle the protesters.

Columbia activists defied the 2 p.m. deadline with chants, clapping and drumming from the encampment of more than 300 people. No officials appeared to enter the encampment, with at least 120 tents staying up as the deadline passed.

Anti-Israel protesters on the campus of Columbia University (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Police have begun arresting anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University after demonstrators defied a deadline to disband.

Authorities were seen dragging protesters out. Meanwhile, faculty were locking arms in an effort to prevent officers from entered the encampment.

The Ivy League university had earlier in the day issued an ultimatum for students to sign a form and leave an encampment by 2 p.m. or face suspension.

A protest arrest at the campus of UT Austin.

State troopers in riot gear close in on anti-Israel protesters on the campus of UT Austin Monday after UT Austin police issued a dispersal order.

Per the university's newspaper, The Daily Texan, state troopers have arrived at the front of the Tower in riot gear, as the crowd grew to more than 100 people.

FOX 7 Austin reports that the protesters at UT Austin have begun using cable and chains to secure their table barricade. Texas troopers encircled the protesters and a few scuffles have broken out. At least one was arrested.

The protests on campus are just one of many have that swept college campuses nationwide. The encampment at Columbia University in New York City has garnered the most attention.

Anti-Israel protesters linked arms and formed a circle around their encampment as police entered the lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday.

The protest at UT Austin is just one of many that are taking place at campuses across the country. The encampment at Columbia University has gained the most attention, however.

UT students chanted "Whose lawn? Our lawn," and other slogans as police moved in. A police drone could also be seen flying over the area.

Most universities have begun cracking down on the campus protests after more than a week of unrest. Columbia issued a 2 pm deadline for students to clear out or face suspension on Monday. That deadline passed with crowds of protesters remaining on campus, however.

The U.S. found five units of the Israel Defense Forces responsible "for individual incidents of gross violations of human rights," the State Department announced on Monday – though whether funding to the American ally could be cut over such abuses under the so-called "Leahy Laws" still hangs in the balance. 

At a press briefing, State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the human rights violations happened all before the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants on southern Israel and none happened in Gaza. Four of the units have "effectively remediated," he said, while the U.S. continues "in consultations and engagements with the government of Israel" on the remaining unit.

"They have submitted additional information as it pertains to that unit. And we're continuing to have those conversations consistent with the memorandum of understanding that we have with the government of Israel that was entered into in 2021," he said. "When conclusions are made under actions that fall under the auspices of the Foreign Assistance Act, we are required to consult with officials from the government of Israel, and that is ongoing. We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete."

He also noted that "the remediation standard is consistent and it is the same for all countries." 

When pressed by a reporter, Patel admitted that the fifth unit is still eligible to receive U.S. arms at this stage. 

"When we're talking about the Leahy Law, what we are talking about our unit and component restrictions, when they are found in violation, it is not have bearing on the broader security relationship that we may have with a country, especially a country like Israel, in which we have a longstanding security relationship. The provision of bulk assistance that's gone back many, many years," Patel added. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace, Greg Norman and Gillian Turner

House Democrats once again find themselves divided over how to confront antisemitism on college campuses as anti-Israel protests continue at top universities across the country.

In a memo sent to lawmakers, the House Democratic leadership highlighted a key senior Democrat's opposition to the Antisemitism Awareness Act – which is expected to get a vote this week. The bill would force the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination rules. 

It puts Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a Jewish progressive who is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, at odds with the 13 House Democrats who are co-sponsoring the bill, which includes Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; and Pat Ryan, D-N.Y.

Nadler was named because his committee holds jurisdiction over the bill.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark's office clarified to Fox News Digital that Democratic leaders are not urging the caucus to vote against the measure, but Nadler's opposition will likely provide cover to a significant number of left-wing lawmakers who are also uneasy about the bill.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who introduced the bill, told Fox News Digital, "Jerry Nadler had no problem supporting a very similar bill in 2018. It is unfortunate that he is letting politics get in the way of doing the right thing by cowering to the far-left."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind

University of Southern California senior Melina Feradouni joined 'America's Newsroom' alongside her mother, Ramona Gamzeltova, to discuss USC's decision to cancel its graduation ceremony as safety concerns mount thanks to anti-Israel protests.

USC is one of many universities facing a difficult decision regarding commencement ceremonies as protests rage on their campuses. Columbia University reaffirmed its intent to hold a ceremony and warned protesters to clear out their encampment by 2pm on Monday or face suspension.

Most universities hold their commencement and graduation ceremonies sometime in May.

Police prepare ahead of Columbia's deadline for protesters to clear out (Umar Abbassi for Fox News Digital)

Anti-Israel protesters must clear out from their encampment at Columbia University by 2:00 pm or face suspension, the university announced Monday.

The protesters have occupied Columbia's campus for more than a week, and Columbia President Minouche Shafik said Monday that negotiations with the students had failed.

Police arrived to the Columbia campus at 1 pm, roughly an hour ahead of the deadline. Groups of officers arrayed themselves across the campus from the protesters.

Minutes ahead of the 2 pm deadline, crowds of protesters remained and were chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a slogan condemned as anti-semitic. The phrase calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and removal of the Jewish people.

The university explained its deadline in a lengthy public statement, urging those in the encampment to consider upcoming graduation ceremonies.

"Exams are beginning and thousands of your peers are due to graduate. These are among the most significant aspects of students’ academic programs. Many of this year’s graduates were deprived of a graduation celebration from high school because of the pandemic. For many of their families, this will be the first time anyone in their family has completed college and received a degree. We urge you to remove the encampment so that we do not deprive your fellow students, their families and friends of this momentous occasion. The University will offer an alternative venue for demonstrations after the exam period and commencement have concluded. If the encampment is not removed, we will need to initiate disciplinary procedures because of a number of violations of university policies," administrators wrote in the announcement.

"Please promptly gather your belongings and leave the encampment. If you voluntarily leave by 2 p.m., identify yourself to a University official, and sign the provided form where you commit to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing," the warning continued.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., joined "Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy" to criticize colleges for allowing antisemitic protests on its campuses "under the guise of the Israel-Palestinian conflict."

Lawler's criticism comes as students at elite college campuses across the nation are forming "Gaza Solidarity" encampments to call on their respective schools to either cut ties with or end their support of Israel.

The nationwide movement has spread to 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.

Lawler said, "Congress must act to crack down on it because these universities and college presidents and administrators are failing in their responsibility to keep these students safe, and to ensure that there is a free exchange of ideas, but based in truth and reality, and not antisemitic rhetoric, designed to threaten and target Jewish students."

Gowdy then pointed to concerns over the use of "tax dollars or public moneys" funding colleges that either can't or won't condemn "racist, antisemitic activities."

"Bottom line to me is, you need to be able to define what antisemitism is, enforce it and if schools are failing in the enforcement, then they need to be stripped of federal dollars, including student aid. And that's why I introduced the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which would defund institutions of higher learning," Lawler said.

Lawler also insinuated these colleges would have "cracked down" right away if the ongoing protests were aimed at Blacks, Hispanics or members of the LGBTQ+ community.

This is an excerpt from an article by Christopher Lopez

Student protests are threatening to cancel some college commencement ceremonies across the U.S. as the Israel-Hamas war continues to divide college campuses. 

The University of Southern California (USC) announced Friday it would scrap all outside speakers during this year's commencement ceremony, just days after the school canceled a Muslim student's valedictorian speech following a series of social media posts she made about Israel. 

"It's a very big hit to morale for the exact class that felt like they lost their high school graduation," USC student body President Divya Jakatdar told The New York Times after learning about the commencement cancelation. "We've missed out on enough."

But some students are still lending support to the importance of protest.

"It seems sort of ridiculous for us to complain about graduation when people's lives are on the line," Jakatdar said. 

Other students say that they're exhausted by the seemingly constant threat of global events over domestic celebrations.

"A lot of our milestones have had some big, looming global atrocity over us," Emerson College senior Sophia Pargas told the New York Times. ''It's almost like we've been conditioned for it at this point."

Maideh Orangi also responded to the cancellation controversy at USC. 

"The one glimmer of hope, the one bright side that I was looking forward to in all of this was that one commencement, and now it's just all gone," she told The Times. "It feels like the whole end to my senior year is surrounded by a really sour feeling.''

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Jeffrey Clark

Nearly two dozen Congressional Democrats signed onto a letter calling on Columbia University to protect its Jewish students and disband the encampment of anti-Israel agitators on its campus Monday.

The letter, fronted by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ and Dan Goldman, D-NY, includes endorsements from 21 other Democrats.

"We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus. As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act," the letter reads.

"For the past week, this encampment has been the breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, including hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence," it continued.

The letter then lists several anti-semitic incidents that have taken place at Columbia since the protest began, going on to say that the university must act soon.

"We appreciate the Columbia administration’s efforts this week to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that allows those in the encampment to voluntarily disburse without police intervention. But, after nearly a week of negotiations, it is now abundantly clear that the students and activists entrenched on campus are unwilling to enter into a reasonable agreement to disband, which is necessary to bring the University into compliance with Title VI," the Democrats wrote.

"The time for negotiation is over; the time for action is now. It is ultimately the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to act. If any Trustees are unwilling to do this, they should resign so that they can be replaced by individuals who will uphold the University’s legal obligations under Title VI," the letter concludes.

Columbia University's negotiations with student protesters ended in failure on Monday, with President Minouche Shafik saying the agitators will not disperse.

While Shafik called on the protesters to disperse, she made no mention of calling on the New York City Police Department to clear out the encampment.

"The University’s goal for the talks was a collaborative resolution with the protestors that would result in the orderly removal of the encampment from the lawn. The students also were asked to commit going forward to following the University’s rules, including those on the time, place, and manner for demonstrations and events," Shafik wrote.

"While the University will not divest from Israel, the University offered to develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from the students by the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, the body that considers divestment matters. The University also offered to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings," she added.

Shafik went on to urge the protesters to disperse, reminding them that the university's commencement is just weeks away. She reassured the community that Columbia will "indeed hold a commencement," despite the unrest.

"I know that many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy.  To those students and their families, I want to say to you clearly: You are a valued part of the Columbia community. This is your campus too. We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and to ensuring that you feel welcome and valued," she wrote.

Israeli officials are growing concerned that the International Criminal Court could soon issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials over charges related to the war in Gaza, reports say.

The court may accuse the senior government figures of pursuing an excessively harsh military response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the New York Times is reporting, citing Israeli and foreign officials.  

The newspaper reports that any warrants issued by the ICC would "probably be seen in much of the world as a humbling moral rebuke" and cited an official as saying that the possibility of them has factored into Israeli decision-making in recent weeks. 

Such warrants could pose travel obstacles for the Israeli officials and they may be issued against Hamas leaders as well, according to the New York Times. 

The developments come after Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that "We expect the court to refrain from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli political and security officials," Reuters reports. 

"We will not bow our heads or be deterred and will continue to fight," Katz reportedly added, warning Israeli embassies to step up security over the risk of a "wave of severe antisemitism." 

On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X that "While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression." 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Greg Norman

As anti-Israel agitators continue to take over college campuses across the nation, a professor at Cornell University told Fox News Digital that what is happening — at Cornell University in particular — is no surprise and something he says has been building for a long time now.

"This is not a peace movement. This is not ‘let everybody live,’ you know, let bygones be bygones. This is an uncompromising, rejectionist ideology that rejects the existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East. And that is their goal. Tear it down. Intifada, revolution. That is their only solution in their own words. And I think people need to listen to them when they tell you they want an intifada. Believe them," Cornell professor William Jacobson said.

Jacobson said what is also concerning about these protests is that the administrations, especially at Cornell and Columbia, are doing nothing to ensure student and faculty safety.

"I've spoken out against it before, and I've called on the administration to stop the radicalization and their very aggressive anti-racism program, which demonizes people based on their ethnicity and their race and inevitably leads to Jews being targeted. So, this has been building, and the fact that students are now bold enough in the main quad of campus, large groups of students to chant, ‘There is only one solution. Intifada or revolution.’ It's really creepy," Jacobson said.

He added it's all a reflection of everything that's gone wrong on the campus, how the administration has not been responsive to alumni calls, calls from him and calls from parents to stop the ideology he says is embedded in the campus. 

Jacobson said what is happening is no accident, and it's only gotten worse since Oct. 7.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Stephany Price

A Harvard University student is urging Jews to stay away from campus amid an influx of anti-Israel agitators and is calling for President Alan M. Garber to resign if the situation is not handled.

"Let me be absolutely and abundantly clear: Harvard University is a free-for-all. There is no police presence. There is no administrator who is taking responsibility. The inmates are running the asylum," Harvard Divinity School student Shabbos Kestenbaum told Fox News Digital.

Kestenbaum, who comes from an Orthodox American family, claimed Harvard has "capitulated" and "acquiesced" to a "woke mob" that has expressed anti-democratic, anti-American, anti-capitalist and antisemitic views.

"They have given them the keys to Harvard University and have allowed them free rein to shout their antisemitic slogans, to physically accost Jews on campus, to call for the ethnic genocide of Jewish people, to call for the murder of Jewish people on Passover," he said.

In his personal capacity, Kestenbaum has spoken to dozens of Jewish students in recent days with a clear message about Harvard: "Avoid the campus for your own physical safety."

Kestenbaum has also told many Jewish students who have been admitted to Harvard to reject the offer because "they fundamentally treat Jews differently."

"We are taking a firm line in the sand that if Harvard does not discipline these antisemitic students, if they do not take immediate action, then we as Jewish people do not need Harvard. Harvard needs us," Kestenbaum added.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Nikolas Lanum

George Washington University reiterated Sunday that anti-Israel protesters on campus are violating the university's rules of conduct and behavior and emphasized that "the hateful language being displayed has no place on our campus."

President Ellen Granberg and Provost Chris Bracey said the university remains committed to protecting the right to activism and free expression of diverse viewpoints, but that those things "are not unlimited."

"Our highest priority is, and always will be, maintaining a safe campus environment that allows for the world-class academic experience our students and their families have entrusted us with providing," Granberg and Bracey said in a joint statement.

"The encampment on University Yard violates our clearly defined rules of conduct and behavior. Further, the actions of some protesters(sic) have been highly offensive to many members of our community. The protest is jeopardizing our ability to meet the priorities of our university community, and the hateful language being displayed has no place on our campus."

The university directed protesters to move to an alternate location at Anniversary Park, the statement reads, but on Thursday – the first day of the demonstration – campus police sought assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department after the demonstrators refused to relocate multiple times.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Landon Mion

The Biden administration is silent on whether students carrying out anti-Israel protests spiraling on college campuses nationwide will be barred from student loan forgiveness programs that have canceled billions of dollars in debt under the 46th president. 

"We say justice, you say how. Burn Tel Aviv to the ground," protesters have chanted on Columbia University’s campus in recent days. "Hamas we love you. We support your rockets, too," other chants have included. 

Colleges from coast to coast, including some of the nation’s most elite schools - including Harvard, Yale, Penn, Berkeley and others - have seen dayslong protests on campuses, where students demand their schools completely divest from Israel as the death toll in Gaza increases.

The protests come following terrorist organization Hamas launching war in Israel on Oct. 7, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was "open season for Jews on our campuses." The protests have now heightened to the point where Jewish students are warned to leave campus for their own safety. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Sunday asking if the administration plans to bar student protesters from eligibility for student loan forgiveness programs but did not receive a response. Biden, in part, campaigned in 2020 on forgiving student loan debt, including pledging to cancel at least $10,000 per borrower back in 2020. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Colton

As anti-Israel protests linger across college campuses nationwide, many students are awaiting the consequences of taking part in these demonstrations.

For many, final exams, financial aid, and even graduation are on the line, and their plight has become a central part of the protests. Students and professors alike have demanded amnesty.

At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives.

Terms of the suspensions vary from campus to campus. What started at Columbia has turned into a nationwide showdown between students and administrators over protests and the limits of free speech. In the past 10 days, hundreds of students have been arrested, suspended, put on probation and, in rare cases, expelled from colleges including Yale University, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota.