Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have flared at elite universities in recent days, as roughly 150 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University and Yale University were arrested. The crackdowns came as Passover, a major Jewish holiday, approached Monday evening and politicians and organizations expressed fears for the safety of the Jewish community. Now encampments are sprouting up at institutions across the U.S. in solidarity, while colleges are taking actions to control the protests. Here’s a closer look at what’s been happening at those schools.

🚨 What’s happening at Columbia University

The situation hit a boiling point at Columbia last Thursday, when over 100 people, including the daughter of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, were arrested at a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Columbia president Minouche Shafik had asked the NYPD to help clear the crowd.

Arrests continued over the weekend, prompting Shafik to move to virtual classes this week over heightened safety concerns.

The protesters haven’t been deterred, however, as they are in their sixth day of demonstrations.

Shafik said in a statement Monday that the decision to hold classes virtually was made to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”

Some Jewish students have experienced antisemitic harassment, including being told to “go back to Poland.”

An Orthodox rabbi associated with Columbia messaged nearly 300 Jewish students on Sunday and “strongly” advised that they return home and remain there “until the reality in and around campus has drastically improved.”

📢 What’s the reaction been?

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the White House have all expressed concern for the safety of Jewish students and spoken out against antisemitism. President Biden, however, also told reporters Monday, “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

↩️ How we got here

Protests at many universities and colleges across the U.S. have remained a flash point since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel and killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped roughly 250 hostages. Israel subsequently launched a war against Hamas in Gaza that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinian civilians — about two-thirds of them women and children — according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The pro-Palestinian demonstration encampments on Columbia’s main quad started last Wednesday just before Shafik testified before a congressional committee investigating antisemitism on campus. (The same panel last year grilled two of Shafik’s counterparts at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, who resigned amid backlash for their responses.)

The “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” was set up by a coalition of student organizations that have criticized Columbia’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. They have demanded that the school divest “all economic and academic stakes in Israel,” according to the group’s website.

🎓 What’s happening at other elite universities

As pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia entered their sixth day Monday, a wave of solidarity protests at other colleges and universities have sparked up across the country:

Yale University, New Haven, Conn.: Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators staging an encampment on campus since Friday night were arrested Monday morning on trespassing charges. Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell said they were warned Sunday night and again early Monday before the arrests took place. The protesters are demanding that the university “divest from military weapons manufacturers,” according to the Yale Daily News.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.: Pro-Palestinian student demonstrators set up the “Scientists Against Genocide Encampment” on MIT’s Kresge Lawn on Sunday night. They want the school to cut its research ties with the Israeli military.

Emerson College, Boston: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators from a nonaffiliated student organization want the college to support “Palestinian liberation” and have set up tents in an alley off Boylston Street. Emerson College president Jay Bernhardt said the area is “not solely owned” by the college and is under Boston Police jurisdiction.

Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.: The school has restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday afternoon, hoping to avoid any pro-Palestinian demonstrators or camps. An email sent to students and faculty who work in the Yard explained that the closures are “out of an abundance of caution and with the safety of our community as a priority,” according to the Harvard Crimson.

University of Southern California, Los Angeles: Hundreds of protesters gathered on campus Sunday in support of the school’s Class of 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum. Officials had told Tabassum earlier this month that she was barred from speaking at this year’s graduation ceremony, citing safety concerns due to her pro-Palestinian social media posts.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.