USC Cancels Commencement Amid Protests, Drawing Criticism From Students, Alumni

The protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict pose a tough test for colleges nationwide as administrators seek to balance free speech and open debate against pressures over campus safety.

As Some Universities Negotiate With Pro-Palestinian Protesters, Others Quickly Call the Police

Officials at some schools have been negotiating with student protesters who have rebuffed police and doubled down. Other schools have quickly turned to law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold.

Since Arrests at Columbia, Campus Protests of Israel’s War in Gaza Spread Nationwide

Protests had been bubbling for months but kicked into a higher gear after more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s campus were arrested last week.

Colleges Seek to Balance Safety and Students’ Right to Protest Gaza War

Since the war began, colleges and universities have struggled to balance campus safety with free speech rights amid intense student debate and protests.

Pro-Palestinian Protests Sweep US College Campuses Following Arrests at Columbia

Schools sought to diffuse tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas while struggling with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining campus safety.

USC ‘Redesigning’ Commencement Amid Campus Controversy Over Israel-Hamas War

The university’s decision was met with praise from pro-Israel organizations but condemnation from free speech groups and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Citing Safety, USC Cancels Speech by Valedictorian Who Supported Palestinians

A First Amendment attorney expressed concern about cancelling events that could be perceived as censorship, and the possibility of other schools buckling to pressure.

Columbia’s President Testifies Before Congress on Campus Conflicts Over Israel-Hamas War

She took a more decisive stance than the presidents of Harvard and the UPenn, who gave lawyerly answers when asked if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate school policies.