Columbia University encampment triggers wave of campus protests across US

Students at Columbia University in New York City establish a pro-Palestinian encampment on the college lawn demanding divestment from companies with ties to Israel, sparking a wave of similar encampments at dozens of universities across the United States. Columbia suspends in-person classes and eventually calls in NYPD, which arrests more than 100 protesters. Students occupy Hamilton Hall. Encampments spread to Yale, NYU, Harvard, UCLA, University of Texas, and Georgia Tech. Police responses draw intense scrutiny. President Biden condemns antisemitism among protesters while also defending the right to protest, saying in a brief statement that "order must prevail" and that "dissent must never lead to disorder." The protests pressure Biden on Gaza policy ahead of the election and deepen the rift with young progressive voters.