300 arrested in Columbia, City College protests; violence erupts at UCLA: Live updates

Police in riot gear swept onto the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, early Wednesday, hours after New York City police made 300 arrests at Columbia University and City College as opposition to Israel's war in Gaza continued to roll through universities across the nation.

Video posted on social media showed counterdemonstrators battering a makeshift barricade around pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA. The Los Angeles Police Department said it was responding to UCLA's request to restore order "due to multiple acts of violence within the large encampment" on the campus.

"The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a Twitter post Wednesday. "LAPD has arrived on campus."

Earlier, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said barriers demonstrators used to block access to buildings had been removed, and staff were positioned around Royce Quad "to help ensure that they will not go up again." The student conduct process has been initiated and could lead to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion, he said.

About 1,200 people in southern Israel were killed and more than 200 taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli retaliatory assault has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health ministry figures, obliterated much of the enclave's infrastructure, creating a humanitarian crisis and fueling outrage on some U.S. campuses. Demands include halting investment in Israeli companies and amnesty for student protesters.

Developments:

∎ Protesters and police clashed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when officers broke up an encampment there Wednesday. Video from the scene showed some protesters being pinned to the ground and apparently arrested.

∎ Tulane University said at least 14 protesters were arrested from the "illegal encampment" the school said was dominated by protesters "unaffiliated with our community."

Almost 300 protesters arrested in NYC

New York City police made 119 arrests at Columbia University and 173 at City College in Tuesday's crackdowns on protesters, Commissioner Edward Caban said Wednesday. There were no injuries, and charges range from trespass to criminal mischief to burglary. Mayor Eric Adams said "professionals at radicalizing" had influenced the student protesters and co-opted the protest. Caban said a breakdown of how many of those arrested were students was not yet available.

At Columbia, Adams said drones and encryption radios provided police with the element of surprise when they retook Hamilton Hall.

"It was about external actors hijacking a peaceful protest and influencing students to escalate," Adams said. "We cannot allow what should be a lawful protest turn into a violent spectacle that serves no purpose."

Northwestern, Brown reach deal:Make pact with student demonstrators to curb protests

Some campus protesters cut deals, claim victory

Some student activists who pitched tents and camped on university lawns to protest Israel's military attacks in Gaza have begun to declare victory after hammering out agreements with school administrators. Northwestern University became the first U.S. school to publicly announce a deal on Monday. On Tuesday, Brown University protesters broke camp after President Christina Paxson said the Rhode Island school will bring divestment demands to a vote. Organizers hope the deals set a new precedent for protest encampments around the U.S. and show a way to find common ground without using force.

“What these students have done is truly, truly historical,” Summer Pappachen, a graduate student and organizer of the Northwestern encampment, told USA TODAY Tuesday amid cleanup of the lawn students held for days. “We have been able to achieve (our goals) while keeping students safe.”

− Michael Loria

Columbia building cleared:Police storm into building held by pro-Palestinian protesters

NYPD takes control of Columbia University building seized by protesters

New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed up in a building at Columbia University and removed a protest encampment that was the epicenter of the campus protests nationwide. Officers climbed into Hamilton Hall, which protesters had occupied in the early hours of Tuesday, through a second-story window. Within three hours Tuesday night, they had cleared the protesters and arrested dozens, NYPD said.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik released a letter asking police to stay on campus until at least May 17 − two days after graduation − "to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established."

What are college protests across the US about?

The student protesters opposed to Israel's military attacks in Gaza say they want their schools to stop funneling endowment money to Israeli companies and other businesses, like weapons manufacturers, that profit from the war in Gaza. In addition to divestment, protesters are calling for a cease-fire, and student governments at some colleges have also passed resolutions in recent weeks calling for an end to academic partnerships with Israel. The protesters also want the U.S. to stop supplying funding and weapons to the war effort.

More recently, amnesty for students and professors involved in the protests has become an issue. Protesters want protections amid threats of disciplinary action and termination for those participating in demonstrations that violate campus policy or local laws.

− Claire Thornton

Contributing: Reuters