Dozens arrested at USC protests

Dozens of student protesters at the University of Southern California (USC) were arrested Wednesday night as tensions escalate on college campuses across the United States over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The protesters were arrested peacefully after police warned them to disperse or be restrained, according to the Associated Press. According to the news agency, police officers detained the students one by one, who had their arms locked.

The University of Southern California’s Department of Public Safety issued a series of alerts Wednesday, citing “significant activity” in the center of campus due to demonstrations.Department store warned Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers will arrest students who do not disperse from the area.

Officials also announced Wednesday night that the campus had been shut down following the demonstration.

The protests against [University Park Campus] has been terminated,” a warning from the safety department read. “However, the campus remains closed until further notice. Students, faculty, staff, and those conducting business on campus may enter with proper identification.”

The campus of the University of Southern California was already on edge after the University of Southern California announced it was canceling its valedictorian’s speech due to security risks because of links to pro-Palestinian sites on her social media.

These arrests are just the latest in a series of on-campus incidents involving pro-Palestinian student protesters. Tensions began to escalate at Columbia University last week, with school officials asking the New York City Police Department to respond to demonstrations on campus where students had camped out.

Prior to Wednesday’s arrest at the University of Southern California, police also detained students who were protesting at the University of Texas at Austin campus. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Republican) spoke out against the protests, saying protesters were “in jail” as arrests were made.

The Hill has reached out to USC for comment.