Scores of pro-Palestinian activists spent the night in tents and under umbrellas at Tulane University in Uptown New Orleans.
The school says the overwhelming number of the protestors are not affiliated with the campus.
After marching down St. Charles Avenue the group confronted cops on the lawn in front of Tulane Monday night.
At first officers were successful in keeping the protesters from setting up their tents and occupying the area, but as the hours wore on, eventually the activists got their way.
They slept in the tents and refuse to leave until demands are met that Tulane divest from Israel.
The university says that Gibson, Tilton-Memorial and Dinwiddie Halls will be closed today due to what school leaders call an "unlawful protest." Classes in those buildings are being held virtually.
Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said, "Arrests have already been made and suspensions are being issued. We want to be clear: We do not condone and will not allow trespassing, hate speech, antisemitism and bias against religious or ethnic groups, harassment, intimidation, violence, and other criminal acts on any of our campuses."
Click here for his full letter to students...
Protester chants include:
"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
"Free, free Palestine."
"Expose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest."
Similar protests have been happening on college and university campuses across the country amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked, kidnapped and killed Israelis in October.
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service says that on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Sunni Islamist terrorist organization Hamas led surprise attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip.
"More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals (including at least 35 U.S. citizens in Israel) were killed. Hamas and other groups also seized 253 hostages on October 7."
In response to the Hamas attacks, Israel declared war on Hamas.
"As of April 15, 2024, more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry. Israel publicly seeks the elimination of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and the release of all hostages; Hamas’s tunnels have made these tasks more challenging. The Israeli military has reportedly cleared some key areas in Gaza of visible Hamas control, withdrawn tens of thousands of troops, and apparently shifted toward lower-intensity warfare," the CRS posted.
