Police were deployed on several American campuses on Wednesday after intervening during the night in Los Angeles and New York, where student protests against the Gaza war were underway, creating unrest across the United States.

Clashes and Arrests on American Campuses

Police were deployed on several American campuses on Wednesday after intervening during the night in Los Angeles and New York, where student protests against the Gaza war were underway, creating unrest across the United States.

About 300 people were arrested at two university sites in New York, according to the city police during a press conference on Wednesday.

During the night, law enforcement forcibly removed pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded in a building at the prestigious Columbia University in Manhattan, where the student mobilization in support of Gaza began. Tents set up on the lawn were taken down.

"They were brutal and aggressive with the police," stated Meghnad Bose, a Columbia student who witnessed the scene.

"There were random arrests [...] several students were injured to the extent that they had to be hospitalized," denounced a coalition of pro-Palestinian student groups at Columbia in an Instagram post.

"I regret that it has come to this," responded Minouche Shafik, the university president in a statement on Wednesday.

While acknowledging the protesters are advocating for an important cause, recent "acts of destruction" by "students and external activists" led to the deployment of law enforcement, she explained, also condemning "anti-Semitic comments" made during these gatherings.

A new encampment was formed in the morning on the campus of Fordham University in New York, as reported by a university journal and posts on social media platforms.

Other encampments were dismantled early Wednesday on the campuses of the University of Arizona in Tucson and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively in the southwest and north of the country, according to local media.

Question Marks on Authority's Presence

For the past two weeks, student demonstrations supporting Gaza have been increasing across the United States, reminiscent of protests during the Vietnam War era.

Students are urging institutions to sever ties with donors or businesses linked to Israel, and criticizing Washington's support to its Israeli ally.

On the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, clashes erupted during the night as a large group of counter-protesters, many masked, attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on the lawn, according to an AFP photographer.

The assailants tried to breach the makeshift barrier around the encampment, made up of metal barriers and plywood panels. Protesters and counter-protesters then engaged in physical altercations and threw projectiles.

By Wednesday morning, calm had been restored, although dozens of police cars remained present. All classes were canceled for the day, as per the institution.

"The university must deter the counter-protesters from attacking peaceful demonstrators," stated 23-year-old student Daniel Harris to AFP, noting the assailants "didn't look like students or individuals affiliated with the university."

"Where were the authorities?" questioned 22-year-old student Mark Torre, uninvolved in the disturbances.

University President Gene D. Block had cautioned before the violence against the presence of individuals external to the campus.

Sunday saw clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activists, supported by many external protesters, resulting in scuffles and insults.

"These incidents have particularly caused deep anxiety and fear among our Jewish students," he added.

Calls for Biden to Address the Situation

In contrast to other institutions, Brown University in Rhode Island announced reaching an agreement with protesters. This involves dismantling their encampment in exchange for a university vote in October on a possible "disinvestment" from "companies enabling and profiting from the Gaza genocide."

As per an AFP count, law enforcement has conducted arrests at least 30 university sites since April 17.

The images of riot police intervening on campuses have made global rounds and sparked intense reactions from the political world, with only six months remaining until the presidential election in a polarized nation.

The White House on Wednesday condemned a "small percentage of students causing chaos."

"Students have the right to attend classes and feel safe," affirmed Karine Jean-Pierre, executive spokesperson, adding, "We will continue to emphasize the need to denounce anti-Semitism."

At a Wisconsin rally, former President Donald Trump deemed that "New York was under siege last night," praising the police presence at Columbia as "incredible."