Protests At UCLA, Columbia And Other Campuses Turn Violent As Israel Negotiates Truce Terms With Hamas

Multiple protests on U.S. college campuses became violent Wednesday, while the U.S. government continued efforts to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group, Hamas, in Gaza.

What Happened: Counter-demonstrators, who support Israel, clashed with a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). Fireworks and pepper spray were used.

According to the LA Times, the extent of student injuries is not yet clear.

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The events at UCLA unfolded just hours after a protest escalated in New York.

Officers with the New York City Police Department descended on Hamilton Hall, an academic building, which had been taken over by protestors at Columbia University. Dozens of pro-Palestinian protestors were arrested.

Police in riot gear also intervened in a protest at The City College of New York on Tuesday night. See video on X below:

The protests aren’t exclusive to schools on the East and West coasts:

• Over 20 arrests were made and encampments cleared at two Arizona campuses (Tucson and Flagstaff).
• Arrests were also made at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where police pushed into protestors with shields.
• More than 100 arrests took place in Austin over the past week; more demonstrations are expected to take place at the University of Texas.

Cease-Fire Discussions: An Israeli negotiating team reportedly arrived in Cairo and was presented with Hamas’ demands for a cease-fire deal.

Hamas, Gaza’s de facto governing body since 2007, wants a guarantee from Israel that forces won’t continue fighting in the coming months.

Israel demands that 33 hostages be released.

Cease-Fire Discussions: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in Israel, urging for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

"The time is now, " Blinken said, per the Associated Press.

Blinken also greeted Israeli families whose loved ones are presently being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Setting hostages free is "at the heart of everything we're trying to do," he said.

Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released as part of the truce.

This is Blinken’s seventh visit to the region since the start of the war.

Now Read: Ivy League Grads No Longer The Apple Of Recruiters’ Eyes Amid Anti-Israel Protests

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