Police at UCLA clear anti-Israel encampment, make over 130 arrests

University of Southern California students who were arrested for criminal trespassing on April 24 during the anti-Israel protest will be referred to the school’s “disciplinary process,” according to an email Thursday night sent by the university.

There were 93 arrests at USC last week, of which 51 were students and 36 not being students there.

The email sent to the students said the university was “notified that you were arrested by the LAPD for criminal trespassing” in Alumni Park as the USC Department of Public Safety “cleared an encampment that violated university policy.”

“You will have an opportunity to participate in the process and we will take every effort to resolve the case expeditiously and with care,” the email stated, according to The Daily Trojan, the school’s student newspaper.

The email went on to say that any further violations of university policies — camping, amplified sound, defying DPS directives, vandalism, harassment, bullying and theft — are subject to further discipline that could include expulsion or a ban from campus.

Students who believe they received the email in error, or if they weren’t actually arrested, are urged to respond to the email immediately to dispute it.

Anti-Israel protesters at the University of North Florida who ignored a 10 p.m. deadline to leave campus Thursday night in Jacksonville were quickly surrounded by police and then handcuffed.

The UNF students stayed beyond the 10 p.m. deadline during a protest for divestment from Israel. They are seen sitting on the lawn in front of a building in this video chanting "Free, free, Palestine" and other usual chants heard during protests on campuses around the country. The couple of dozen protesters are then surrounded by a dozen Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers (JSO) riding bicycles and donning helmets, face guards and gas masks.

Then, a group of about 30 more JSO officers wearing riot gear approach the group. Each of the protesters eventually held their hands in the air as JSO officers arrested them with zip ties, one by one.

There was no incident and the scene cleared relatively quickly. The arrested protesters were hauled away in a van. The amount of those arrested is at least a dozen.

Administrators at Vassar College this week gladly welcomed a group of students to have a peaceful protest on campus. Certain conditions had to be met for their pro-Palestine demonstration, though.

1. It could be held only for Vassar students
2. The protest could only be held with a certain perimeter on campus
3. There was no harassment of other students, faculty or administrators

Two days after the protest began, the administration is now ordering the protesters to disassemble their camp and end their demonstrartion.

"On Wednesday, several actions altered the situation. Students used social media to invite people unaffiliated with Vassar to campus to support the demonstrators. Although for much of the day the students engaged in discussion and peaceful protest within the perimeter of the tented area, in the afternoon a substantial group, including people who we believe are not members of the Vassar community, protested for about ninety minutes," Vassar College President Elizabeth H. Bradley wrote in an email obtained by Fox News Digital.

The school president said the protests has begun impeding the Library Lawn and that safety of students and administrators has been brought into question.

"For both these reasons, I will ask the demonstrators to voluntarily remove the encampment promptly, before large groups of external parties may come to our campus. I look forward to discussing and assisting in these next steps," Bradley stated.

Bradley said several deans of the college met with protest leaders four times over the last two days to hash out an agreement, but that these talks failed and now Vassar is calling for them to disembark.

A driver with no plates pulled up to a crowd outside a library at Portland State University in Oregon Thursday afternoon, then got out and targeted people with pepper spray before fleeing on foot.

Footage of the chaotic scene shows a vehicle appear to start accelerating toward the crowd, prompting people to scream and try to get out of its way. The driver can be seen abandoning his car as some attempted to capture him.

The crowd vandalized the abandoned car, smashing the windows and spray painting “Free Palestine” on the side. 

A car vandalized at PSU with "Free Palestine" spray-painted on the side. (KPTV/Emmett McKeel)

Portland State University Police located the driver, an adult male, and took him to a local hospital on a police mental health hold.

A gun was reportedly fired by an NYPD officer inside Hamilton Hall on the campus of Columbia University, as police worked to remove anti-Israel agitators from the building on Tuesday night, the Associated Press reported.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed the incident to the AP. 

Doug Cohen, a spokesperson for Bragg's office, said no one was injured and that there were only officers nearby when the gun was fired. Cohen said no students were in the immediate vicinity of the area. 

Bragg's office is conducting a review of the incident, Cohen added. No further details about the incident were immediately available. 

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

Anti-Israel protesters have agreed to disband their encampment at Rutgers University-New Brunswick after administrators meet with demonstrators and agreed to eight of their 10 demands.

“We are pleased to report that these students have agreed to peacefully end their protest. They have committed to removing their tents and belongings, effectively clearing Voorhees Mall,” Chancellor Francine Conway said in a statement. “This process began before the 4 p.m. deadline and is currently underway.”

Among the list of demands the university agreed to were accepting 10 displaced Gaza students to study at Rutgers on a scholarship, hire professors specializing in Palestine studies and Middle East studies, and provide full amnesty for students who were “penalized for exercising their first amendment right to protest Rutgers University’s support for Israeli human rights violations.”

The university would not agree to divest from firms tied to Israel or terminate its partnership with Tel Aviv University

A list of demands from Students for Justice in Palestine at the School of Visual Arts. (@sjp.sva)

Anti-Israel protesters at the School of Visual Arts in New York City have issued a set of demands from their school amid ongoing demonstrations.

The list of demands, laid out by the Students for Justice in Palestine, demand “complete financial transparency and divestment from ‘Israeli’ companies.”

The group also demands that the school and its president issue a public statement “condemning the genocide in Gaza and the ‘Israeli’ aggression.”

The group demands that the school cut ties with Hillel International – a worldwide Jewish campus organization – and any other “Zionist Institutions.”

The group also demands that the school “protect student speech and organizing on campus.”

Pro Palestinian students lock arms, sing and chant as they braced for New York Police Department officers to raid campus after Columbia University President Minouche Shafik called on the NYPD to dismantle encampments and remove individuals from Hamilton Hall on Tuesday. (Seyma Bayram via AP)

Authorities in New York arrested 74 people this week in connection with anti-Israel protests at two universities, prosecutors said Thursday.

In addition to the people arrested -- 46 at Columbia University and 28 at the City College of New York -- there are 16 outstanding desk appearance tickets that are returnable this month, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said.

At Columbia, the protesters were arrested on suspicion of third-degree criminal trespass. At CUNY, 22 people were arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and obstructing governmental administration. Another five were arraigned for second-degree assault.

They were all released.

Another person was arraigned for a misdemeanor forth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, among other charges, authorities said.

Video taken from New York City police officers' body-worn cameras shows authorities forcing their way inside a Columbia University building this week that had been overtaken by anti-Israel protesters.

The video shows the moment NYPD officers wearing protective gear breached Hamilton Hall on Tuesday night where the protesters had barricaded themselves inside. 

The bodycam footage shows the officers using a tool to open a front door of the building, which had multiple chairs stacked against it from the inside.

Once inside, the officers encountered a man-made barrier of what appeared to be furniture that required a saw to cut through. Protesters are heard from the outside chanting "Free, free Palestine!"

At one point, an officer says "Let's deploy a flashbang (grenade)," which was followed by a series of loud bangs. After cutting through the barrier, officers came into contact with protesters sitting inside a room where they were detained. 

A group of counter-protesters chanted “USA! USA” at a group of anti-Israel agitators while carrying the American flag on the campus of Rutgers University on Thursday.

The pro-Palestine crowd chanted back: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Faculty and other supporters, rushed to create a human wall, shouting: “Link up! Link up!”

At a certain point, the counter protesters broke out into singing the National Anthem.

Protesters agreed Thursday afternoon to take down encampments after “fruitful” negotiations with administrators.

The school has reportedly agreed to meet with its endowment board and begin the process of divesting from companies that are connected to Israel – reflecting demands from protesters across campuses nationwide.

A high-ranking NYPD chief has ripped a "defund the police" radical New York City lawmaker who he accused of hating the city and being a "colossal disgrace" after she slammed the force for dismantling the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University on Tuesday.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell on Wednesday responded to a post by socialist City Councilor Tiffany Cabán, who panned the police for arresting students who had illegally occupied an academic hall at the university. Police engaged in an operation to detain those who were self-barricaded inside late Tuesday.

Cabán, who labeled the agitators as "trailblazing leaders and critical thinkers," tore into university and city leadership for unleashing the police on the protesters. 

However, Chell had none of it, and backed up the force by clapping back at Cabán, who only last year called for the police to be "defunded and abolished." She has also co-sponsored legislation that would have abolished the NYPD’s gang database — a police resource tool containing the names of 18,000 alleged gang members — and previously railed against the mayor for bringing the force’s plainclothes police team back on the streets as she said they unfairly target people of color. 

"I started to read this garbage and quickly realized this is coming from a person who hates our city and certainly does not represent the great people of NYC," Chell wrote on the NYPD’s official Chief of Patrol account. 

Officials cleanup after an encampment was cleared. (Fox News)

Cleanup efforts of anti-Israel encampment are underway at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Thursday, following a nine-hour standoff with where police dismantled the encampment and arrested more than 100 protesters.

Images of the aftermath show the grounds covered in trash and graffiti, with messages like “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine.”

Authorities moved in to tear down the encampment overnight and were met with heavy resistance. Hundreds of protesters at UCLA defied orders to leave, some forming human chains as police fired flash-bangs to break up the crowds.

At least 200 people were arrested, said Sgt. Alejandro Rubio of the California Highway Patrol, citing data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Rubio said they were being booked at the county jails complex near downtown Los Angeles. UCLA police will determine what charges to bring.

Later Thursday morning, workers removed barricades and dismantled the protesters’ fortified encampment. Bulldozers scooped up bags of trash and tents. Some buildings were covered in graffiti.

GOP lawmakers Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Brandon Williams have introduced a bill to ensure that student protesters who are convicted of criminal offenses are not bailed out by student loan forgiveness.

“Violent campus protesters laughably demand respect, amnesty, and even takeout food,” Williams said in a post on X. “My bill w/ @SenTomCotton ensures that not one student protester convicted of criminal offenses is bailed out by student loan forgiveness. Not one dime of taxpayer money will fund these criminals.”

Cotton has called the college protests a “revolting display of anti-Americanism.”

“And we know what kind of message it sends, because Hamas and the ayatollahs in Iran have been celebrating these fanatics that have built little Gazas all around America’s campuses, while Joe Biden remains silent,” Cotton said in a statement.

The Republican Senator also questioned why the State Department is not revoking visas for foreigners who “make little Gazas” or why the Justice Department isn’t deporting them or why the Department of Education isn’t investigating why Jewish civil rights “are being violated without any rescourse by these administrators.”

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 1: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on May 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republican Senators joined Cotton to denounce pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and called on school administrations around the country to act against anti-semitism. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, on Thursday criticized the possibility of student loan forgiveness that may be extended to anti-Israel agitators at universities nationwide.

The senator introduced The No Bailouts for Campus Criminals Act, a measure that would prevent so-called "bailouts" from being given to anyone convicted of federal or state crimes "related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest that occurs at an institution of higher education.

"Cotton told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Americans who never went to college or responsibly paid off their debts shouldn’t have to pay off other people’s student loans. They especially shouldn’t have to pay off the loans of Hamas sympathizers shutting down and defacing campuses." 

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

President Biden juxtaposed with Fordham University. (Getty Images)

President Biden issued a proclamation to mark the National Day of Prayer in which he urges cooperation and decorum amid ongoing disruption and violence on college campuses nationwide. 

The proclamation was released on Wednesday ahead of the National Day of Prayer on May 2. 

"Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer," Biden wrote in the proclamation. "This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect."

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

The head of a major Iranian university  reportedly offered scholarships to students expelled from U.S. and European universities over anti-Israel protests broiling with antisemitism. 

Mohammad Moazzeni, who runs Shiraz University in the Fars province, made the announcement at a gathering of students meant to show "solidarity" with anti-Israel agitators in the West on Wednesday. 

Of the police response to the encampment demonstrations, he said, "[T]hey exert a lot of violence in order to contain this raging movement and have even threatened to expel the students from universities and hinder their employment in the future, and such autocratic methods show the decline of global arrogance," according to Iranian state-owned outlet Press TV. "Students and even professors who have been expelled or threatened with expulsion can continue their studies at Shiraz University and I think that other universities in Shiraz as well as Fars Province are also prepared [to provide the conditions]."

He reportedly argued that what is happening in Gaza reveals the true nature of Western civilization and further supports the message of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian state outlet reported. 

Live images of the protests at the University of California, Los Angeles, where anti-Israel agitators clashed with police trying to clear a fortified encampment from campus Thursday morning, were carried on Iranian state television, The Associated Press reported. Qatar’s pan-Arab Al Jazeera satellite network also carried live images of the police action, and live images from Los Angeles also played across Israeli television networks.

To read the full article, click here.

Signs and a Palestinian flag sit on a statue of George Washington at an encampment protest at the University Yard at George Washington University in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Anti-Israel protester at George Washington University draped a statue of of the first American president with a keffiyeh, a scarf that has come to  symbolize Palestinian solidarity.

The statue of the school's namesake was seen with the scarf around Washington's neck and a Palestinian flag on his back.

The university suspended at least seven student protesters last week who organized an anti-Israel encampment on campus and refused to leave after days of demonstrations.

Pro-Palestinian protesters chant during a town hall event at Rutgers University. (House Committee on Education & the Workforce)

Rutgers University issued a warning to anti-Israel protesters who took over a campus building to vacate the property Thursday afternoon after more than two dozen morning exams were canceled because of the disruption.

Protesters who have taken over Voorhees Mall and set up tents in the area have until 4 p.m. local time to remove the encampment, school President Jonathan Holloway and Francine Conway, Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, said in a message.

"This morning, we made the unprecedented decision to postpone morning exams on the College Avenue Campus," the message states. "Several days ago, some people, including Rutgers students and individuals not from our community, set up tents on Voorhees Mall. The University has consistently taken steps to make clear to protesting organizations, including this group, our policies reflecting our commitment to free speech and the University's thresholds for disruptive activity. 

The group Students for Justice in Palestine called for a "significant" rally at Voorhees Mall, which coincided with the beginning of the exam period, the university administrators said.

The rally disrupted 28 morning exams, which impacted 1,000 students, they said.

"This morning, we met again with the students representing the protest, again expressing our concerns for safety and student success, and informed them that their tents need to be removed from Voorhees Mall by 4 pm today," the message said.

"The safety of our students and their academic success are our highest priorities," it continued. "Exams previously scheduled for this morning are being rescheduled or relocated, and the protest area on Voorhees Mall and any other places where University business is conducted will be cleared of all protesters for the remainder of the semester."

James Carlson, 40, seen after being arrested on suspicion of attacking someone holding an Israeli flag near Columbia University. (John Mantel for Fox News Digital)

A pro-Palestinian protester arrested when authorities raided a building on the Columbia University campus Tuesday night was also wanted for participating in an alleged attack on a man holding an Israeli flag.

James Carlson, 40, a Brooklyn resident, is charged with criminal mischief, arson and criminal possession of stolen property in connection with the April 20 assault, the New York Police Department said Wednesday.

Three suspects approached the victim and took the flag, the NYPD said. The suspect who took the flag ran into a crowd and the victim was hit in the face with a rock thrown by a second suspect as he tried following them, police said.

A third suspect grabbed the flag and set it on fire, police said. The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention. Carlson is alleged to have participated in the assault.

The other two suspects are being sought.

Carlson was initially arrested when the NYPD raided Hamilton Hall on the Ivy League campus this week. The building had been overtaken by anti-Israel protesters.

A white banner that says UMN Divest Solidarity Encampment is next to a sign that says Divest from Palestine at an encampment and pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Trisha Ahmed)

The University of Minnesota has joined Northwestern and Brown in agreeing to hear student demands to divest from Israel.

Officials announced an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters on Thursday to end their encampment on the Minneapolis campus.

In exchange, representatives of the coalition of student organizations involved will get to address the university’s Board of Regents at their meeting next Friday, May 10, and the discussion will include their demands that the university divest its investments in Israel.

Interim President Jeff Ettinger announced the deal in an email to the campus community. It said nearby buildings that were closed as a precaution earlier this week would reopen at noon, and protesters agreed not to disrupt upcoming final exams or commencement ceremonies.

“While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress,” Ettinger wrote. “It grew out of a desire among those involved to reach shared understanding. While we do not condone tactics that are outside of our policies, we appreciate student leaders’ willingness to engage in dialogue. I value the challenging and healthy conversations we’ve had.”

A few other schools also secured agreements with protesters to avoid disrupting campus events. Administrators at Brown University in Rhode Island agreed to consider a vote to divest from Israel in October — apparently the first U.S. college to agree to such a demand. And Northwestern University in Illinois agreed to reestablish an advisory committee on university investments and other commitments. 

The student demands from the University of Chicago's anti-Israel encampment is a giant progressive wishlist that goes well beyond Gaza. 

The encampment formed Monday, called "The U Chicago Popular University for Gaza," follows the nationwide trend of anti-Israel revolts at liberal colleges. 

During a rally held Tuesday, one of the lead protesters listed their demands, among them defunding the campus police, the UCPD. 

"The U Chicago Popular University For Gaza demands that you, Chicago, divest from the Gaza genocide," the protester told the university. "We demand that you, Chicago, divest from weapons manufacturers arming Israel and its partnerships with militarized Israeli universities, and cut ties with the Israel Institute. We also demand that you, Chicago, divest from all interrelated forces of death and violence into which it is currently complicit, especially fossil fuel production, UCPD and construction projects that fuel South Side displacement."

She then led chants of "We won't rest til you divest!" 

Continuing the demands, the protester said, "The U Chicago Popular University For Gaza demands that the university disclose university investments. We demand full transparency into U Chicago's budget, investments and holdings, particularly its financial involvement in Israeli apartheid, weapons manufacturing, fossil fuel production, property ownership and investment on the South Side and UCPD. This includes a commitment to regularly disclosing data on funds and holdings in each of these areas. It also includes creating a requiring committee of students, faculty, staff and other community stakeholders to facilitate divestment and ensure that future investment decisions follow established, justice-based guidelines."

That led to the chant "Disclose! Divest! We will not stop! We will not rest!"

"The U Chicago Popular University for Gaza demands repair of the harm caused by the university. We demand that you, Chicago, repair the harm it has caused in Palestine, Chicago and beyond," she continued. "This includes explicitly acknowledging such harm as well as implementing a communally accountable program of reparation. More specifically, it includes 1. recognizing Israel's genocide and scholasticide in Palestine and supporting Birzeit University's initiative to rebuild Gazan higher education. 2. signing the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. 3. disbanding UCPD and redirecting funds to South Side community-based products. 4. allocating funds to annual rental assistance and local schools, expanding employer-assisted housing, funding grants for long-term affordable housing, and halting expansion on the South Side. 5. Decarbonizing the endowment and reducing emissions by 50% by 2030, in line with the university's existing sustainability plan for campus emissions."

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

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks with reporters as he and other conservative Republican members of the House Oversight Committee visit the George Washington University Gaza encampment, Washington, DC, May 1, 2024.

An anti-Israel activist shouted multiple epithets at Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., as he made an appearance at a Washington, D.C. college disrupted by protests.

On Wednesday, Donalds was one of the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee who visited an anti-Israel protester encampment at George Washington University amid a nationwide series of protests about the war in Gaza. The Daily Caller released video of Donalds being berated by a middle-aged man with a foreign accent who appeared to be part of the protests that afternoon. 

"How much is AIPAC paying you, you bastard?" the man asked, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an organization which lobbies for policies favorable to Israel. While this initially did not draw a significant reaction, Donalds turned around when the same man asked, "How much is AIPAC paying you, you race traitor?" 

Another person in the audience could be heard objecting, "’Race traitor,’ what!?"

The protester continued, "Yeah! Yeah! Uncle Tom!"

Someone else asked, "Why is the United States supporting a Jewish supremacist country?"

The first protester continued his line of attack, "Outside agitators aren’t allowed, you’re working for a foreign entity, you bastard!"

Donalds calmly quipped, "That guy’s really old to be in college, anyway-," and turned around to field more questions.

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

Anti-Israel agitators at Portland State University attempted to charge at police officers and were swiftly put down.

Police officers in riot gear were sent to clear out an encampment at the university library on Thursday, leading to a confrontation between the officers and several agitators wielding makeshift shields. Video shows the moment a group of protesters running from the library and charging at officers who set up a police line.

One of the agitators crashes at full speed into an officer and is knocked to the ground. Two more police officers assist in apprehending the assailant. 

The Portland Police Bureau said "several arrests" were made at the library as officers work to clear the encampment. 

Dozens of protesters who appeared to be a mix of PSU students and outside agitators occupied the library on Monday night and demanded that the university divest from Israel before they would move, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

On Wednesday, Portland State University President Ann Cudd announced that the library is closed and said all unauthorized personnel found there were committing criminal trespass "and must leave immediately." The announcement came after negotiations between university officials and the anti-Israel groups broke down on Wednesday. 

Sen. Mike Lee is targeting subsidies for prestigious universities and specifically scrutinizing how overhead costs are used. (Reuters, Getty Images)

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is taking on university subsidies from the federal government as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs expand and schools lose control over antisemitic protests and riots across the country.

The Utah Republican introduced the No Subsidies for Wealthy Universities Act in the Senate on Thursday, with Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., introducing a companion version in the House. The measure is also co-sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

"The tax dollars of hardworking American families are going to ultra-wealthy universities, like Columbia and Harvard, supporting woke DEI programs while churning out graduates who despise our country and riot for the destruction of Israel," Lee said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The senator's bill would address the issue of subsidies and grants being used to bolster DEI and facilitate them by scrutinizing what are referred to as indirect cost reimbursements. While direct costs are easily tracked and are used for items such as lab equipment, indirect costs are more difficult to predict and include the carrying out of such grants.

Lee's measure looks to eliminate the indirect cost reimbursements on these federal subsidies for research for any universities that boast endowments greater than $5 billion. For those with endowments less than $5 billion but still more than $2 billion, they would be capped at 8%. All other institutions would face a 15% cap for the indirect costs.

He said that the emphasis being placed on DEI at U.S. universities, as well as the current anti-Israel protests and riots, prompted the legislation, slamming both as "a disgrace."

"If they want to trash their reputations as academic institutions, they can do so on their own dime," Lee said.

Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this update.

Almost half of the anti-Israel agitators arrested at Columbia University and the City College of New York arrested during violent protests on their campuses weren't students, according to the New York Post. 

NYPD arrested 282 protesters during a raid on Thursday, of which 134 had no affiliation with either school, the Post reported, citing law enforcement sources.

Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly warned that "outside agitators" had infiltrated the anti-Israel encampments and were responsible for radicalizing students. 

"“What was given to me by my team, a preliminary review of the numbers, just the beginning process of analyzing, but it appears, though, that over 40% of those who participated in Columbia and CUNY were not from the school and they were outsiders,” Adams told NPR in an interview. 

Earlier, the mayor had said professional agitators were responsible for the occupation of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, in addition to students. 

"This is a global problem that young people are being influenced by those who are professionals at radicalizing our children and I’m not going to allow that to happen as the mayor of the city of New York,” he said Wednesday. 

Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, also a former president of Purdue University, weighed in on the anti-Israel protests seen at college and university campuses across the nation. 

In an interview on "America's Newsroom," Daniels said that prosecutors must enforce the law against agitators who have been arrested after setting up unlawful encampments at these schools.

"You need prosecutors who will actually act," Daniels said. 

Daniels took an optimistic view of the protest movement, saying it has been "clarifying" to families on which schools will protect their kids and to Jewish Americans on "where the real hate and most dangerous and virulent antisemitism is located in this country." 

"And it is, I hope, clarifying to students, those involved and those watching, that there are consequences for violating clear rules and clear, particularly criminal laws. So follow through will be very important, including prosecutors in some jurisdictions who've been declining to prosecute even worse offenses. And we're going to see which ones do and which ones don't." 

Former President Donald Trump slammed the anti-Israel "radical left lunatics" creating chaos on college campuses nationwide, highlighting that the antisemitism on campuses is promoted by the left, not conservatives. 

"This is a movement from the left. These are radical left lunatics, and they've got to be stopped now because it's going to go on and on. And it's going to get worse, and worse," Trump said Thursday morning outside of a Manhattan courtroom where he is standing trial. 

"And, you know, they take over countries, and we're not letting them take over the USA. We're not letting the radical left morons take over this country." 

Student agitators have infiltrated college campuses nationwide in recent weeks, including radicals on Columbia University’s campus taking over the campus’ Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale are working to clear student encampments where protesters demand their elite schools completely divest from Israel. 

The protests are associated with groups tied to far-left organizations backed by dark money and liberal mega-donor George Soros, Fox News Digital previously reported. Namely, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) has had a large presence amid the protests on Columbia University’s campus, as well as on the campuses of UCLA, Tufts and the University of Texas at Austin. 

In his remarks Thursday, Trump praised law enforcement officers in New York City and Los Angeles for working to clear encampments and Columbia's Hamilton Hall, and make arrests amid the chaos. 

"I'm so proud of the New York's finest … I know so many of them. They're incredible. They did a good job at Columbia and likewise in Los Angeles. They did a really good job at UCLA. It was very much embedded," Trump continued.  

"And just so you understand, this is the radical left. This is a movement from the left, not from the right. The right is not your problem. Despite what law enforcement likes to say, the FBI director said that he worries about the right."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this update.

UCLA professor Nir Hoftman joined "Fox & Friends" on Thursday to discuss the anti-Israel encampment on his campus and said there is a "bigger issue" than antisemitism at U.S. universities. 

Hoftman, who is Jewish, said the real problem with the encampments seen nationwide is there is no "law and order" enforced on college campuses.

"When you have no law and order, when you have chaos, vigilantes, then the people that want law and order lose and the terrorists win," Hoftman said. 

"Now that every policeman is inside the campus, who's enforcing the rest of the city?" he asked. "And that's what's missing here, all along. This isn't about a war in the Middle East. It's about our entire system of life." 

Hoftman said that despite the antisemitism he has witnessed on campus, he has no plans to leave UCLA.

"This is my home," he said. "I've had a 50-year relationship with UCLA. I'm not leaving. You know, we take it back." 

After classes were canceled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on Wednesday amid ongoing safety concerns stemming from anti-Israel protests on the campus, the university has been forced to move courses remotely on Thursday and Friday.

The new guidelines said campus operations "will be limited" through the end of this week. "Per Academic Senate guidance on instruction, all in-person classes are authorized and required to pivot to remote tomorrow and Friday," read a statement from Bruins Safe Online.

"Please continue to avoid campus and the Royce Quad area," it added. The campus remains open; however the university is urging students to avoid Dickson Plaza (Royce Quad) as police have ordered an evacuation due to an unlawful assembly.

The statement comes amid a massive anti-Israel demonstration, where protesters have erected a fence to keep out law enforcement officers. Police remained on the sidelines until Thursday morning, when officers from multiple agencies were given permission to begin moving onto the campus and to restore order.

In the safety statement, UCLA said Geffen Academy, Lab School and Early Care and Education will remain closed Thursday. Additional guidance will be shared on Friday.

"Employees are encouraged to work remotely wherever possible and should consult with their supervisors. Events and research activities are encouraged to go remote or be rescheduled wherever possible," the statement added.

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

A student who defended the American flag at a North Carolina campus Tuesday from an anti-Israel mob, said the protesters would have had to yank the flag from him over his "dead body." 

Anti-Israel protesters targeted the American flag on The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's quad — which had been flying at half-mast after four Charlotte officers were killed in the line of duty. At one point, they replaced it with a Palestinian flag – enraging students and inspiring members from the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity to take action. 

"I don't understand how people can act like this," said Dan Stompel, a junior studying political science at the university. He was one of over a few dozen students who stood up to a mob of hundreds as they tried to desecrate the American flag. Stompel and his fellow classmates held the flag for over an hour until police were able to clear the protest and safely hoist it back on the flagpole. All the while, the students experienced profanity and middle fingers from protesters, along with bottles, rocks, and water being thrown at them.

"We're looking at every direction. If stuff was flying in, we would say, ‘Heads up.’ We would cover each other. We would look out for other people… And it did hurt our arms. It was like an ‘arm day’ [workout] for me that day. There was no gym happening that day afterwards. It was exhausting. It was beautiful moment," Stopel said in an interview with Fox News Digital Wednesday. 

 "It shows that, …based on the people there, nice, normal, strong boys protecting America's flag. There's nothing more patriotic, nothing more genuine, nothing more inspiring than that," he said. 

Fox News Digital's Hannah Grossman contributed to this update.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Israel President Isaac Herzog on Thursday condemned the antisemitic protests on U.S. college campuses in a message of support to Jewish communities around the world.

"The people of Israel are with you. We hear you. We see the shameless hostility and threats. We feel the insult, the breach of faith and breach of friendship. We share the apprehension and concern," Herzog said in a video message.

The Israeli leader condemned institutions of higher education that have been "contaminated by hatred and antisemitism fueled by arrogance and ignorance, and driven by moral failings and disinformation." 

"We watch in horror as the atrocities of October 7th against Israel are celebrated and justified," he said. More than 1,200 Israelis were brutally slaughtered in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel led by Hamas terrorists.

"In the face of violence, harassment and intimidation, as masked cowards smash windows and barricade doors, as they assault the truth and manipulate history, together we stand strong. Together we will continue building a flourishing, life-affirming nation," Herzog said. 

"As they chant for intifada and genocide, we will work — together — to free our hostages held by Hamas, and fight for civil liberties and our right to believe and belong, for the right to live proudly, peacefully and securely, as Jews, as Israelis — anywhere." 

"In the face of this terrifying resurgence of antisemitism: Do not fear. Stand proud. Stand strong for your freedom. Israel stands with you. Israel cares for you. We care for you. We are here for you."

UCLA law student Matthew Weinberg spoke out against the violence witnessed on his school's campus, where police are attempting to clear an unlawful anti-Israel encampment.

Weinberg called the protest a "disgrace" and said tear gas and flashbangs deployed by police reminded him of a "war zone." 

"It demonstrates to me that this school is run by a bunch of cowards," Weinberg said. "It demonstrates to me a lack of moral clarity, and it also demonstrates to me the degradation of our society." 

He criticized the school administration for permitting the encampment to remain on campus as long as it has while Jewish students were made to feel unsafe.

"There's no doubt in my mind that they are owed a tuition reimbursement. I have a friend at law school, she was pepper sprayed. There are a number of other students that were physically assaulted. The school has done absolutely nothing," he said, adding that an apology would be "insufficient." 

President Biden, who was motivated to run for president by the bigotry on display in Charlottesville in 2017, is feeling increased media and political pressure to speak out on antisemitism as agitators and unrest roil college campuses.

CNN's Dana Bash said Wednesday that Democrats she's spoken to about Biden's response to the protests so far believe he looks "weak," as the country has seen tumultuous scenes at universities coast to coast, from Columbia to UCLA.

Bash noted a statement from White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, which said Biden supported the right to peacefully protest, and "forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful." The statement added, "hate speech and hate symbols have no place in America." 

"He's the deputy press secretary, he's certainly not the president, who we haven't heard from. He's not the communications director, who we haven't heard from. He's not the press secretary, who we haven't heard from. This is very telling that this is what we have so far with everything that's going on, from the White House and the President of the United States," Bash said. 

The New York Times' Zolan Kanno-Youngs said he was traveling with Biden to New York, where several campus protests have unfolded. 

"I was going into it thinking, oh he's got to make a statement here. He’s got to come over and talk to the press about what we’re seeing unraveling and we didn‘t see that, he didn't come over," he said. "I don‘t think that’s going to be able to last. This is how we’ve seen them message on this so far. Statements that clearly condemn antisemitism and don‘t condone violence, calling for peaceful protests. But again, it‘s written statements." 

"I've talked to some Democrats who say they're worried that he looks weak," Bash responded, referring to Biden not speaking on the issue directly. 

Fox News Digital's Hanna Panreck contributed to this update.

Anti-Israel protesters at UCLA built a wall around their encampment as tensions rose overnight with multiple law enforcement agencies on campus.

Police had been increasing their presence over the past few hours ahead of the raid that is currently happening. 

Walls of plywood were seen surrounding most of the encampment, which was already behind railing, and protesters were seen standing up above the top of the plywood with strobe lights and Palestinian flags.

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin said power drills could be heard throughout the night as the protesters continued to fortify the barrier separating them from multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

Melugin estimated there are hundreds of protesters behind the plywood and hundreds more surrounding the police perimeter.

Law enforcement entered the encampment shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday morning after multiple calls for the protesters to leave the area. 

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