Anti-war protests at American universities cause anxiety for White House

The White House called for peaceful protests after hundreds of people were arrested during a protest at US universities demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Fullscreen button
The administration insists the pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked U.S. universities in recent weeks must be peaceful after police arrested about 275 people at four campuses over the weekend. "We certainly respect the right to peaceful protest," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on ABC on April 28.

However, he stressed that "we fully condemn anti-Semitic language and certainly condemn all hate speech and threats of violence."

The wave of protests that began at Columbia University in New York quickly spread to dozens of schools across the country. They called for a ceasefire in Israel's war with the Islamist movement Hamas and for universities to sever ties with Israel.

Most protests are peaceful but the number of protesters detained is growing rapidly. According to Reuters news agency, the number arrested included 100 students at Northeastern University in Boston, 80 students at Washington University in St. Louis, 72 students at Arizona State University and 23 students at Indiana University

Among those arrested at the University of Washington was Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. "This is about freedom of speech... on a very important issue. And there they were, sending riot police and basically creating a riot," Stein told CNN shortly before her arrest.

Despite this, the wave of protests continued. Students at Yale University set up a new campsite on Sunday, after the previous site was dismantled by police and dozens of people arrested and charged with trespassing. At George Washington University, students switched to road camping because school administrators threatened that camping on campus would be temporarily suspended and banned from entering the school.

Universities are struggling to find the best response to the protests, balancing respect for freedom of expression and demands to curb inflammatory anti-Semitic rallies.


With final exams coming up in the coming weeks, some schools like California Polytechnic State University have closed their doors and instructed students to study online. According to AFP statistics, about 1,170 people were killed when Hamas militants staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The group also took about 250 people hostage. Israel estimates 129 people remain in Gaza, including 34 who may have died. According to the Gaza Strip health authority, the Israeli retaliatory strike killed at least 34,454 people there, mostly women and children