US college campuses gripped by pro-Palestine protests, nearly 900 arrested

Anti-Israel protesters at Harvard University, US, raised the Palestinian flag over the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard, a spot usually reserved for the American flag.

This act is a part of the ongoing demonstrations against the Gaza War across US universities. Nationwide, the number of arrests has reached nearly 900 since the mass arrests at New York's Columbia University on April 18. The incident at Harvard on Saturday occurred amidst continued agitation by pro-Palestine protesters on the campus.

A Harvard spokesperson referred to the incident as a 'violation of university policy' and stated that the individuals involved would face disciplinary action. On Saturday, around 275 people were arrested at various campuses, including Indiana University at Bloomington, Arizona State University and Washington University in St. Louis.

The protests, which began at Columbia University in New York, have rapidly spread across the country. Although peace has been maintained at many campuses, the number of detained protesters is increasing. These include 100 at Northeastern University in Boston, 80 at Washington University in St Louis, 72 at Arizona State University and 23 at Indiana University.

As demonstrations persist, the US federal government insisted on Sunday that the pro-Palestinian protests rocking universities must remain peaceful, following the arrest of approximately 275 people on four separate campuses over the weekend.

Also read: Meghalaya: Truck accident in West Garo Hills leaves motorcyclist severely injured