USA (Washington Insider Magazine)— An independent non-profit organization that monitors political violence and protests globally has reported that 97% of campus demonstrations in the U.S. regarding the Gaza conflict since mid-April have been peaceful. An analysis of 553 demonstrations from April 18 to May 3 found fewer than 20 resulted in serious interpersonal violence or property damage, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled).
During the same period, Acled noted over 70 instances of forceful police intervention at U.S. campus protests, which included arrests and the use of physical dispersal tactics such as chemical agents and batons. Nearly half of the protests categorized as violent involved clashes between protesters and law enforcement during these interventions.
Protest encampments in support of Gaza have emerged on college campuses across the U.S. since April, with students advocating for a range of demands, including calls for universities to support a ceasefire, divest from Israeli companies, and sever ties with Israeli institutions. Similar protests have also occurred in the UK, Europe, India, and Lebanon.
Following the arrest of 108 students at Columbia University on April 18, many universities called in law enforcement to dismantle encampments, leading to over 2,600 arrests across more than 50 campuses, as tracked by the Associated Press. University leaders have expressed concerns that these protests disrupt campus life, threaten safety, and create a hostile environment, with University of Southern California President Carol Folt warning of a “dangerous direction.”
President Joe Biden has also voiced criticism, stating, “dissent must never lead to disorder” and emphasizing that “violent protest is not protected.” He condemned acts such as vandalism and intimidation as not constituting peaceful protest.
According to Acled’s analysis, only two demonstrations were classified as violent due to significant property damage: one at Portland State University, where protesters damaged furniture and computers, and another at Columbia University, where windows were broken. Acled’s North America research manager, Kieran Doyle, clarified that graffiti or spray paint do not count as serious property destruction.
Among the 3% of protests categorized as violent, most involved physical confrontations with police rather than clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-demonstrators. The most notable incident occurred at UCLA, where a pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by masked counter-demonstrators, resulting in clashes lasting several hours, with law enforcement reportedly retreating.
Other incidents of violence included a skirmish at UC Berkeley and confrontations between motorists and demonstrators in Portland and St. Louis.
Much of the criticism of pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. has focused on the rhetoric used, particularly regarding allegations of antisemitism and the impact on Jewish students’ safety on campus. The recent tensions have sparked debate about whether police interventions in response to campus protests are justified.
Nearly half of the protests deemed violent arose from confrontations with police sent to clear encampments, including notable incidents at various universities resulting in injuries to officers.
Acled’s U.S. protest statistics are compiled from extensive research across local news outlets, independent journalists, and verified social media accounts. Ongoing reviews will continue to assess whether certain incidents should be classified as violent.
In previous reports, Acled found that 99% of student-led protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict had been peaceful. Their updated analysis revealed that police intervened more frequently against unopposed pro-Palestinian demonstrations than pro-Israel ones, with no interventions recorded against unopposed pro-Israel protests since April 18.
