Police move in on University of Texas at Dallas protesters

Summary

State troopers are currently moving in on a protest camp at the University of Texas at Dallas
In California, the vice-chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles has reported "horrific acts of violence" Tuesday night at the university's own pro-Palestinian encampment
Footage online shows masked counter-demonstrators - supporting Israel - attacking their rivals with sticks and attempting to dismantle barricades
One person wearing a Palestinian flag was seen being dragged and beaten before the two sides were separated by police
In New York, police arrested about 300 protesters during campus raids at Columbia University and City College of New York in New York on Tuesday night, officials say
City officials also alleged that “outside agitators" had "co-opted" a peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstration, echoing statements from officials elsewhere in the country
US universities have been gripped by protests over the war in Gaza, as students demand a boycott of companies and individuals with ties to Israel

Live Reporting

Edited by Jessica Murphy

In pictures: the latest protests at Columbiapublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 30 April
Here's a look at what's happened on Columbia University's campus overnight.
After some students were suspended from the New York university, pro-Palestine protesters smashed their way into Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside.
Image source, Getty Images
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A protester uses a hammer to smash their way into Hamilton Hall
Image source, Reuters
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Protesters are occupying Hamilton Hall on Columbia's campus
Image source, Getty Images
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Some students link arms outside the hall in solidarity with those inside the campus building
Image source, Reuters
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Some students watch on, outside Hamilton Hall
Watch: Protesters seize Columbia University's Hamilton Hallpublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 30 April
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University took over a campus building at the New York university early Tuesday.
The school administration has urged students and staff to stay away from campus for the day.
Media caption,
Protesters seize Columbia University's Hamilton Hall
What happened overnightpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 30 April
Image source, Getty Images
Pro-Palestinian campus protests have continued throughout the evening across leading US universities.
At Columbia University in New York, the protests escalated after demonstrators occupied an academic building called Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside.
They said they did so in honour of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl found dead in Gaza earlier this year.
Columbia has urged students and staff to stay away from campus on Tuesday. It began suspending student protestors who defied a deadline of 14:00 EST on Monday to leave their two-week encampment, though dozens of students remain at the site.
Elsewhere in the country, dozens of protestors at the University of Texas at Austin were arrested.
At Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, students said police used tear gas and pepper spray against their gathering on Monday.
And a rare deal was struck with protestors and officials at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, north of Chicago, who had been camped out for days.
Under the deal, the university said it would permit "peaceful demonstrations", provided the encampment was limited to a single tent.
Welcome backpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 30 April
We're resuming our live coverage of the widespread protests taking place at college campuses across the US.
The demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war this month have sparked student arrests and suspensions.
Some students are demanding that their schools, many with massive endowments, financially divest from Israel, which essentially means severing financial ties with the country.
Stick with us as we bring you the latest developments.
What's happened today?published at 23:13 British Summer Time 29 April
We're pausing our live coverage of what has been another tumultuous day across several US college campuses.
Let's take a quick look at what happened:
- Protesters at Columbia University in New York were given a 14:00 EST (1800 BST) deadline to clear their encampment
- When that passed, the school began suspending students
- Student leaders at Columbia, however, have remained defiant and vowed to remain in place
- The school's president, Dr Minouche Shafik, is facing growing calls to step down over her handling of the protests
- At the University of Texas - Austin, police equipped with riot gear moved to clear the encampment and began to make arrests
- Police have not said how many people were taken into custody
- Other arrests were reportedly made at the University of Georgia, bringing the total to hundreds over the last several days across the US.
US photojournalist charged with assault in Austin incidentpublished at 22:59 British Summer Time 29 April
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
A Texas-based photojournalist has been charged with assault for an altercation which took place at the University of Texas - Austin during protests there last week.
Carlos Sanchez, 43, is now facing charges of assault on a peace officer - a felony.
According to Texas authorities, Sanchez lunged towards a police officer and struck him with his camera.
Video of the incident shared online shows Sanchez appearing to run into the officer before being taken to the ground by another police officer at the scene.
"They said that I hit an officer. I didn't hit an officer," he says in one video. "They were pushing me."
"I was just covering things," he added. "I told them I was press."
More than 50 people were arrested at UT - Austin during protests there last week.
More arrests have followed today, although the number of people taken into detention remains unclear.
Today in photospublished at 22:55 British Summer Time 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
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Texas State Troopers at the University of Texas in Austin
Image source, Getty Images
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A demonstrator is arrested by Texas State troopers and university police at University of Texas in Austin
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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A man flies a large Israeli flag at Columbia
Image source, Reuters
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Protesters gather at the gates of Columbia University
Brown university offers to hear 'arguments for divestment' - if protests stoppublished at 22:46 British Summer Time 29 April
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Student protesters at Brown on Monday.
At Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, school administrators have offered to hear "arguments from divestment" in May in exchange for an end to the campuses' protest encampment "within the next few days".
Like students at many other US universities, protesters at Brown are calling for the institution to cut any financial ties with entities they see as linked to Israel's war effort in Gaza.
In a letter to protesting students sent on Monday, Brown president Christina Paxton said she is offering "a path forward to resolve the unauthorised activity that continues to disrupt the university community".
If the encampment is ended and "not replaced with any other encampments or unauthorised protest activity", Paxton vowed that five students would be invited to hold talks with members of the Corporation of Brown University in which they would be able to make their arguments for divestment.
Brown's "Divest Coalition" told CNN that the offer is being taken "seriously" by the encampment's organisers.
Arrests 'highly probable' says Columbia student negotiatorpublished at 22:42 British Summer Time 29 April
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Columbia University
Mahmoud Khalil, one of the students negotiating on behalf of the protest encampment, believes it is "highly probable" that police will again be called in.
"The students are here," he said. "They are holding their ground."
Khalil, a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Syria, said talks with Columbia failed because the school "is refusing to acknowledge" the protest movement.
While Khalil says that demonstrators have "compromised" and shifted their demands to only include divestment from "weapons manufacturers" and entities directly tied to the war in Gaza, he faulted Columbia for failing to provide "any assurances".
He added that the students are prepared to remain in the encampment for a long time.
"My family lived in tents for over 20 years," he said. "This is nothing compared to what the people of Gaza are now facing."
When asked about potential disruptions to graduation ceremonies in May, Khalil said that "it's in the university's hands" to determine what happens.
Screen showing October 7 attacks on loop at UCLApublished at 22:36 British Summer Time 29 April
Regan Morris
Reporting from UCLA
A screen has been set up at UCLA in Los Angeles, which shows video from the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
An anonymous group raised money to pay for the screen and erect it, according to a volunteer who helped set it up.
The screams and cries and gun shots from October 7 videos are quite intense and loud.
Nathan, one of the volunteers who helped set up the screen, tells me it was made to show students what October 7 was like for Israelis.
It's approximately 100 feet away from the pro-Palestinian encampment at the university.
Recapping today's eventspublished at 22:25 British Summer Time 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
If you're just joining our live coverage, here's what's happened so far today:
- Students protesting at Columbia University in New York were given a 14:00 EST (1800 BST) deadline to leave the protest on campus or face interim suspensions
- As the deadline came and passed, students remained on campus
- Columbia officials confirmed they started to suspend students who defied the order
- Striking images started appearing from the University of Texas at Austin where, for the second time in the past week, police entered the campus to arrest student protesters
- It's unclear exactly how many students in Austin have been arrested, but videos from the scene show tense physical altercations
Columbia begins suspending studentspublished at 22:12 British Summer Time 29 April
Breaking
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
Ben Chang, Columbia's vice president of public affairs, has confirmed that Columbia has begun suspending students.
The number of suspensions is unclear.
The university had set a 14:00 deadline for protesters to leave the encampment.
Students who are suspended will have access restricted to university buildings, including dormitories and academic buildings, Chang added.
The move, Chang said, is being conducted partly to avoid any disruption to upcoming graduation and commencement ceremonies.
Stay with us for more updates.
Columbia University briefing beginspublished at 22:05 British Summer Time 29 April
We are now hearing from Columbia University official Ben Chang, the vice president of public affairs.
Chang is addressing media about the campus protests.
He starts by saying it will be a "robust breifing".
Columbia University to give updatepublished at 21:57 British Summer Time 29 April
We are about to hear from Columbia University officials, after they set a 14:00 (local time) deadline for protesters to leave the encampment.
You will be able to watch the briefing live by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Texas Governor warns that 'no encampments will be allowed'published at 21:43 British Summer Time 29 April
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that "no encampments will be allowed".
"Instead, arrests are being made," he added.
His tweet came along with a video local reporter Toby Plohetski showing police clad in riot gear entering the area.
It is unclear how many people have been taken into custody.
The BBC has contacted the University of Texas Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety for comment.
University of Texas at Austin dismantles camp, several arrestedpublished at 21:27 British Summer Time 29 April
Media caption,
Multiple protesters arrested at University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT) says it has dismantled an encampment and several protesters have been arrested.
In a statement, UT says protesters “ignored” directions to remove tents and “physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them”.
The statement added that “baseball size rocks” were found within the encampment and the “majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university”.
The university says it received “extensive online threats” from a group organising today’s protests on Saturday, which have been reported to “local, state and federal law-enforcement”.
Civil rights groups have criticised police violence at campuses including the University of Texas at Austin, where police in riot gear and on horseback moved against the protesters last week, taking dozens into custody before charges against them were dropped for lacking probable cause.
Republican tells Columbia: 'the world is watching you'published at 21:24 British Summer Time 29 April
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
New York Republican Elise Stefanik has criticised Columbia University's handling of today's deadline, accusing it of "weak leadership" for not clamping down on the demonstrations.
In a statement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Stefanik - the fourth-ranking House Republican - said the university's 14:00 deadline has "come and gone".
"The world is watching as you continue to fail your Jewish students," she said.
Columbia's administration has come under withering criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for their handling of the protests.
On Monday, 21 Democratic members of Congress signed a letter urging Columbia's trustees to "disband the encampment" and do more to protect Jewish students.
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia President Minouche Shafik to step down over her handling of the protests.
Watch: Police in riot gear at the University of Texaspublished at 21:10 British Summer Time 29 April
Media caption,
"Off our campus" protesters tell police in riot gear at UT Austin
A large presence of police officers in riot gear are currently at the University of Texas at Austin.
At one point, a person says "let them go" as officers appear to remove umbrellas from some seated protesters.
Another part of the video shows protesters call out, "There's no riot here, why are you in riot gear?".
Arrests at the University of Georgiapublished at 20:55 British Summer Time 29 April
Elsewhere, arrests were made today at the University of Georgia.
The school said in a statement that approximately 25 protesters began erecting tents and a barricade this morning.
The encampment "crossed a line", it said, adding: "After multiple warnings that they would be arrested for trespass if they did not comply with our policies, at 8:30 am, UGA Police were left with no choice but to arrest those who refused to comply.
"Any students, faculty or staff members arrested could also face further disciplinary action by the University."
Staff join students as a ‘precautionary measure’published at 20:49 British Summer Time 29 April
Alexander Lederman
Reporting from Columbia University
Image source, Getty Images
Some staff members from Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, have joined the protesters as a “precautionary measure”.
Saima Akhtar, a staff member at Barnard College, told me that staff heard about the deadline and understood the administration had not been able to reach “final negotiations” with the students.
“We’re just trying to be here as a precautionary measure,” she said, adding that “we’re waiting to see what happens”.
She said the students want “to be heard” and "they have a right to protest”.
“They have a right to stand up for what they believe is an important issue. And we’ll see how the higher ups respond to their right to free expression.”
"It’s been impressive to see this kind of student mobilisation."