Protests erupted on Wednesday at the University of Southern California (USC), prompting the closure of the campus to the public due to clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and authorities. Los Angeles police confirmed that arrests were underway, with an unspecified number of individuals detained.
The university’s Department of Public Safety issued an alert, informing students of the closure and instructing them to use their school IDs to enter through pedestrian gates. The protests, part of a nationwide movement, called for universities to sever ties with Israel and advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza.
At USC’s Alumni Park, an encampment was set up by organizers, where students displayed signs advocating for Palestine and demanding peace. Videos circulated on social media depicting confrontations between police in riot gear and protesters, including an incident where students reportedly obstructed a school vehicle containing a detained protester.
These demonstrations followed previous protests on April 18, sparked by the cancellation of valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech. Tabassum, whose Instagram bio linked to a pro-Palestine website, faced backlash online, leading USC to revoke her speech and cancel appearances by other speakers at the upcoming commencement ceremony.
Protests also unfolded at other universities across the United States, including the University of Texas in Austin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At Columbia University, protesters reached an agreement to scale down their encampment after assurances from the school administration.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protests, denouncing them as “horrific” and attributing them to “antisemitic mobs” infiltrating leading universities.
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