In response to Israel's war on Gaza, student protesters across the United States are increasing their demonstrations despite facing arrests and opposition from university administrations. Recent incidents at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), the University of Southern California (USC), Emory University in Georgia, and Emerson College in Boston have sparked nationwide outrage and intensified the movement.

On Thursday, hundreds of students from various universities in Washington DC gathered at George Washington University, as protests continued to grow in scale and determination. However, an increased police presence raised concerns among the students, with rumors circulating that force might be used to disperse the protesters by Thursday evening.

At Columbia University in New York, where the protests first began a week ago, students vowed to persist even as a midnight deadline set by the university administration to clear the encampment approached. The administration insisted that the sit-in must end, while House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested calling in the National Guard. However, protestors argue that their demonstrations were not anti-Semitic in nature but rather a call for freedom for Palestine.

Meanwhile, at Atlanta's Emory University, tensions escalated as police officers entered the campus and deployed tear gas and tasers against protesting students, resulting in several arrests. The crackdown at USC in Los Angeles also involved the dismantling of encampments, clashes with campus security, and dozens of arrests.

The movement led by students demands that universities sever financial ties with Israel and divest from companies perceived to be enabling the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The toll of the conflict is staggering, with at least 34,262 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave since October 7, 2021.

While the protests have been largely peaceful, universities have responded with heavy-handed actions, prompting allegations of anti-Semitism. At UT Austin, the largest rally took place, but the university called in local and state police to disperse the crowds, resulting in the arrest of at least 34 students. Texas Governor Greg Abbott condemned the protesters as belonging in jail and called for their expulsion.

Similar scenes unfolded at Harvard University and Brown University on the East Coast, where students defied threats of action and set up encampments in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The movement gained momentum as hundreds of students at Harvard established their own encampment at Harvard Yard, demanding divestment from Israel and the lifting of the suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

As the protests continued, Columbia University in New York extended a deadline for dispersal after talks with students, aiming to dismantle the protest camp peacefully. However, tensions remained high, with Republican Speaker of the US House, Mike Johnson, claiming that Jewish students were targeted, and calling on Columbia's president to resign if order cannot be maintained.

The student-led protests have gained attention and support both nationally and internationally, with the White House expressing President Joe Biden's backing for free speech and emphasizing the importance of debate and nondiscrimination on college campuses.

As the demonstrations persist, the student protesters remain resolute in their call for change, vowing to amplify their voices until their demands are heard and acted upon.