US campuses brace for return of Gaza protests

A pro-Palestinian protester is detained by NYPD officers outside of Barnard College on the first day of the new semester, in New York City, U.S., September 3, 2024.
A pro-Palestinian protester is detained by NYPD officers outside of Barnard College on the first day of the new semester, in New York City, U.S., September 3, 2024.
REUTERS/Adam Gray

As Israel is rocked by protests following the recent killings of six hostages in Gaza, demonstrations surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict are also returning to US campuses as students return for fall semester.

Protesters were seen on Tuesday at Columbia University in New York City, where some of the most high-profile campus demonstrations over the war occurred last spring. The demonstrators are renewing calls for the university to end relationships with companies tied to Israel. There have also been related protests in recent days at Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and McGill University in Montreal.

We’ll be watching to see if the protests spiral into a larger movement, as they did earlier this year, which could potentially shape conversations surrounding the US 2024 presidential election as Election Day draws closer.

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