Solidarity encampment at Columbia University in New York City

New York, April 23 (RHC)-- Palestinian solidarity protests and encampments are spreading on college campuses across the country, inspired by the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University. 

In New York City, police raided a student encampment at New York University Monday night.  Police arrested more than 150 people, including students and faculty members. 

Earlier on Monday, police at Yale University arrested 60 protesters, including 47 students who had set up a campus encampment to demand the school divest from weapons manufacturers.

At Columbia University, the student encampment has entered its seventh day.  On Monday night, about 100 student protesters and faculty took part in a Gaza Liberation Seder to mark the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover.  

Student encampments are now in place at numerous other schools, including the University of Michigan, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Maryland, MIT and Emerson College in Boston. 

Yasser Munif, a professor at Emerson, told reporters: “I want Emerson to listen to the students, hear them, understand their perspective, also open space for a discussion of Palestine, the discussion of the genocide in Palestine, in Gaza, and allow the students to express themselves — freedom of speech, academic freedom.”