Pro-Palestinian protests pick up pace across America 

A string of protests and subsequent arrests at Columbia University has sparked outrage among pro-Palestinian college-goers across America

Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers on the campus of  NYU. Universities have become the focus of intense cultural debate in the United States since the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel's overwhelming military response to it. (Picture: Alex Kent/AFP/Getty

The students at an encampment at Columbia University who inspired a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across America dug in for their 10th day yesterday, as administrators and police at college campuses from California to Connecticut wrestle with how to address protests that have seen scuffles with police and hundreds of arrests.

The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself. Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.