May 3, 2024 - US college protests

Stanford University officials have sent the FBI a photo of an individual at a campus encampment location who they say appears to be wearing a headband similar to those worn by Hamas members, school officials said this week.

The individual in the photo is masked and the headband is a variation of those worn by members of the Hamas military wing known as the al-Qassam Brigades. 

CNN is unable to independently verify the photo.

“We find this deeply disturbing, as Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States government. We have not been able to identify the individual but have forwarded the photo to the FBI,” the statement from the university said. The FBI field office in San Francisco declined CNN's request to comment.

The university did not provide a photo of the demonstrator in their post but appears to be referencing a photo circulating online and made public by a group called Jews of Stanford, in a letter posted on the Action Network. The Action Network identifies itself as a progressive non-profit tech platform.

Stanford said it is “concerned about the involvement of non-student outsiders in these activities on our campus” but offered no specific information on the photo.

In its letter to the University Jews of Stanford said, “Individuals dressed openly as members of a terrorist organization is unacceptable and must be dealt with swiftly and harshly” warning that not doing so would set “a dangerous standard”

Commencements at the University of Michigan are under way with programs hosting separate ceremonies with distinguished speakers.

Michigan’s School of Public Health held its ceremony Thursday afternoon where alum, Jodi-Ann Burey, a cancer survivor, speaker, writer, creator and host of the podcast Black Cancer, working at the intersections of race, culture and health, used her speech addressing graduates to criticize the administration for refusing to divest from Israel.

The remarks, reported by Inside Higher Ed and streamed on the university's YouTube page, were met with over a dozen seconds of applause and cheering by audience members.

Spring graduation is scheduled for the whole university on Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. There will be a designated area for protests outside ceremony venues, the University of Michigan said on its website, noting all commencement events will include security screenings, prohibit banners and flags, and be monitored by volunteers who will immediately “respond to disruptions, beginning with warnings.”

Rep. James Clyburn, Democratic congressman from South Carolina, expressed concerns about how the college campus protests across the country could impact President Joe Biden's second-term presidential run, agreeing with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who warned that Biden's stance over Israel's war on Gaza may have alienated young voters.

Both Democrats drew a parallel between the current protests and those that occurred during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson in the late 1960s when American students protested against the Vietnam War.

Despite his concerns, Clyburn said he also acknowledges the president's two-state solution stance, meaning having a Palestinian state: "Joe Biden believes in a two-state solution, Netanyahu does not. Joe Biden's opponent in this election does not believe in a two-state solution."

"I would say to people — who do you want to see in the White House, someone who supports a two-state solution or someone who does not?" Clyburn said. "That is the choice we've got here, and we have to be very, very careful that we do not go so far over the line."

Clyburn, who is among those receiving the presidential medal of freedom, noted that he is where he's at today because of protests, underscoring that these actions must be done non-violently.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested 43 people at the New School, a private university in the city, after the school requested assistance in dispersing illegal encampments, according to an NYPD spokesperson who spoke to CNN affiliate, WABC Friday. 

According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry who also spoke with WABC, the individuals had an encampment in the lobby of a residence hall preventing the students from going into their dorms. 

Daughtry told WABC police arrived on the scene and gave the individuals ample time to leave and those that stayed “wanted to be arrested for trespassing.”

According to the spokesperson, a total of 56 individuals were arrested Friday morning, including 13 people who were arrested at New York University. 

CNN has reached out to the NYPD for additional information about Friday’s arrests.

CNN’s Maria Sole Campinoti contributed to this report

More than 2,000 people have been arrested at colleges and universities since April 18 as a growing wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests spreads across not only the US but around the world.

During the weeks of demonstrations, protesters have mainly called for schools to divest from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza. The college protests, which captured global attention in recent days, have rippled on campuses in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Clashes and standoffs with police, and some counterprotesters, unfolded at Columbia University, Portland State and UCLA, as school officials and police continue large crackdowns on protesters. Nearly 200 people were arrested on May 1, after April 30 saw the largest number of arrests in a day since protests began with nearly 400 arrests, according to a CNN review.

President Joe Biden has delivered his most extensive remarks on the unrest. He drew a line between what he called peaceful and violent protests, repeated his support for Israel and dismissed calls for the National Guard to intervene.

While some colleges have either canceled or modified graduation ceremonies, others including universities across Florida are moving forward with commencement this weekend.

Here are the latest developments:

Biden administration weighs in: After President Joe Biden addressed the issue head-on Thursday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sent a letter Friday to college and university presidents condemning “abhorrent” incidents of antisemitism on campus and offering schools available resources.

Florida universities: Universities across Florida are preparing for weekend commencement celebrations, which kick off Friday, after the State University System of Florida's chancellor commended school presidents on their handling of a "difficult academic year" to keep Jewish students and faculty safe and noting that protests during the ceremonies will "not be tolerated."

New York University: The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said it cleared at encampment at New York University (NYU) early Friday morning, following a request from the school. Nearby, the New School also requested assistance from NYPD to disperse the "illegal encampments" inside their university center building and residence hall, an NYPD statement said.

Portland State University: At least 30 people were arrested Thursday at the school, where law enforcement was working to clear a library that had been occupied by protesters since Monday, according to authorities. A man also drove his car toward a group of protesters on Thursday, stopping just short of the crowd and spraying them with “some kind of pepper spray,” police said.

Students in Paris: Students from universities across Paris are expected to rally Friday in support of Palestinian people in Gaza. Dozens of students started a sit-in inside Paris’ Sciences Po late Thursday, prompting the university to close its Paris campus Friday, according to a school spokesman.

The New School requested assistance from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to disperse the illegal encampments inside their university center building and residence hall, according to an NYPD statement Friday.

Students and individuals from outside of the university community trespassed into the lobby of the University Center building at 63 Fifth Avenue and the lobby of the Kerrey Hall residence hall at 65 Fifth Avenue, according to a letter from the university to police.

According to the letter, the students "have been informed numerous times" that their actions — setting up tents and structures within campus spaces and damaging university property — are in violation of the university’s rules and policies.

The Biden administration is ramping up its direct response to the college protests over the Israel-Hamas war, with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sending a letter Friday to college and university presidents condemning “abhorrent” incidents of antisemitism on campus and highlighting available resources.

Cardona’s letter, sent via email, comes one day after President Joe Biden addressed the issue head-on Thursday, offering law-and-order-centric remarks at the White House stressing the need to peacefully protest without causing chaos. 

In recent days, he wrote, there has been a “sharp rise in reports of antisemitism targeting Jewish students on some college campuses.”

He cited reports from Jewish students of being physically assaulted or harassed while walking on campus, antisemitic statements, including that Jewish students should “go back to Poland,” verbal abuse, and swastikas found on dorm room doors.

Cardona told the higher education leaders that his department is “eager to provide further resources, training, technical assistance,” linking to a list of strategies and other federal campus safety resources, including guides from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Department of Justice.

Read the full story here.

Universities across Florida are preparing for weekend commencement celebrations, which kick off Friday, after the State University System of Florida's chancellor commended school presidents on their handling of a "difficult academic year to ensure the safety of our Jewish students and faculty."

Florida State University will hold six ceremonies across two days, with the University of Florida holding its on Friday night.

Read more about preparations other colleges are taking ahead of commencement ceremonies.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said it cleared at encampment at New York University (NYU) early Friday morning, following a request from the school.

NYU requested "assistance to disperse the illegal encampment on their property," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry.

The clearing of the encampment comes shortly after the NYPD was used to help clear Columbia University’s encampment and Hamilton Hall — and at a time when protests on campuses across the country have hit a fever pitch with many students calling for colleges to divest from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza.

Chief Daughtry posted a redacted letter from NYU dated May 2, 2024, stating in part the individuals operating Green Street Walkway have persisted for six days and “their presence has created a continuing risk of violence due to the presence and behavior of hundreds of individuals not affiliated with NYU drawn to the encampment, including acts of vandalism.”