This is a list of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in 2024 since protests escalated on April 17, beginning with the Columbia University campus occupation. As of May 6, student protests have occurred in 45 out of 50 states in the United States, and the District of Columbia, with encampments, occupations, walkouts or sit-ins on almost 140 campuses.
Encampments were established at 36 institutions in the United Kingdom, including 21 of the 24 institutions in the Russell Group, with some institutions having more than one encampment; across universities in Australia, beginning with the University of Sydney; and in Canada, including an encampment at McGill University. On May 7, protests spread further on European campuses after mass arrests at the University of Amsterdam campus occupation, including occupation of campus buildings at Leipzig University in Germany, Sciences Po in France, and Ghent University in Belgium. As of May 8, protests have taken place in more than 25 countries. On May 13, approximately 1,000 Dutch students and university staff took part in a national walk-out.
Background
Argentina On April 25, around 20 students held a sit-in in the lobby of NYU Buenos Aires, aiming to show solidarity with NYU protesters in Manhattan and calling on the institution to cut ties with Israel.
Australia
University of Sydney
On April 23, an encampment was set up at the University of Sydney, in the main Quadrangle, underneath the historic clock tower. Students have been supporting the camp by donating food, materials and supplies. Chief executive of the university Mark Scott says he is allowing the protests to continue, despite incidents such as graffiti that are being investigated, because protest and free speech are "part of who we are", noting other protests related to issues such as the World War I conscription debate and the Vietnam War anti-war movement.
The university ordered the encampment to disperse on June 14, saying that the protest was disrupting preparations for the next semester, and that the university considered these preparations "core university operations", for which disruption by protests is not allowed. Start of semester welcome events are usually held on the lawn the encampment is located on.
On June 17, the encampment ended, with students saying further protest action would come in the next semester.
University of Melbourne On April 25, University of Melbourne students began an encampment on the South Lawn of the main campus in Parkville. Protesters and counter-protesters have been regularly interacting, including a standoff where both groups stood on either side of a moat. Far-right political activist Avi Yemini attended a "No Hate" rally on May 3 in support of Israel. The protesters were outnumbered by Palestine protesters, including those from the encampment. There was a scuffle between him and two pro-Palestine protesters, who allegedly had a microphone shoved in their faces and one of whom was pushed to the ground by a bodyguard. An executive of the Melbourne University Jewish Students' Society, which helped organise the rally, said that they were disappointed with Yemini "co-opting" the rally, which they said was "dehumanising" to both the encampment and Jewish students, with him turning a day that was supposed to be about "unity" into something now "clouded by his image". On May 15, demonstrators began occupying the Arts West building. They also unofficially renamed the building "Mahmoud’s Hall", referencing a Palestinian student killed in Palestine before he was due to begin studies at the University of Melbourne. Classes in the building have been cancelled. On May 16, deputy vice-chancellor Michael Wesley announced that Victoria Police were authorized to use force to evict the protesters from the building. A meeting was held between protesters and university administrators was held on May 17, but no agreement was reached.
On May 22, protesters agreed to end the encampment and occupation of the Arts West building, after the university agreed to disclose connections to weapons manufacturers.
Monash University
An encampment started at Monash University on May 1. The camp was regularly attacked, with protesters alleging they were physically assaulted and verbally harassed. On May 2, the camp was attacked by counter-protesters draped in the Australian and Israeli flags, who destroyed the camp kitchen and shook a protester's tent whilst she slept. Police attended, but no arrests were made, with 10 people being given a move-on direction. A GoFundMe was started to fund repair of the damage caused. After that incident, the Victorian Greens issued a statement calling for better protection of protesters from universities and the police.
On May 8, counter-protesters attempted to storm the stage where speeches were being given, with the protesters and counter-protesters separated by university security. Not all interactions between opposing groups have been violent; an Israel supporter and a Palestine supporter were photographed shaking hands after discussing the war. On May 8, Monash ordered the removal of "Zionists not welcome" signs, saying they "likely constitute harassment and/or vilification". Police are investigating the harassment of the camp. The encampment was cleared on May 17 after encampment organisers informed the university they would dismantle it. Some protesters claimed it was not a voluntary decision, saying that they had been picked off one by one during the week and banned from the encampment area under threat of suspension or expulsion, with the few remaining protesters telling the university security not to dismantle the camp. Video shows roughly 15 security guards packing up tents and sleeping bags.
University of Adelaide On May 1, an encampment was started at the University of Adelaide. The University said that it supported free speech and lawful protests, but would not tolerate hate speech or intimidation of students or staff. On May 8, protesters were attacked with fireworks after 11pm, with a video taken by a protester showing fireworks going off around the camp, with the protesters shouting "cowards" as the people responsible for the fireworks were not visible to the camp. Protesters said a similar incident happened on 6 May. South Australia Police said they are investigating the incident, and the university is increasing security.
On May 28, the encampment ended.
University of Queensland Students at the University of Queensland held a rally and set up an encampment on April 29, with a rival pro-Israel camp also set up. The pro-Israel protesters have said strangers came into their camp and spat on a sign that said "Zionist and proud". On 9 May, protesters marched to the Boeing center on campus, with protesters including Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather saying Boeing products, including planes, missiles and other weapons were "taking lives". A window in the center was smashed, although police have not made any arrests or received any complaints relating to this incident or any other since the protest has started. Protesters briefly occupied a building on May 16, with police not being called. The university asked protesters to leave, but on May 18 protesters claimed they were unaware of this decision and would not be dispersing regardless. On May 20 the university banned the chant "out, out, Israel out" and the word "intifada".
On 1 June, an agreement was reached. The UQ student union and UQ Muslim Students for Palestine agreed to end the encampment that day, in exchange for disclosing of ties to Israel and increasing humanitarian scholarships for students affected by the war. However, UQ Students for Palestine, another group involved in organizing the encampment, was not a party to the agreement, saying they did not agree with any agreement limiting their rights to protest. However, they welcomed the increase in scholarships and said they would be dismantling the camp, saying "during the uni break there is nothing much to disrupt", vowing to return next semester.
Australian National University An encampment was started at the Australian National University on April 29.
On April 30, Beatrice Tucker, organizer of the encampment, said in an interview with ABC Radio Canberra that “Hamas deserve our unconditional support – not because I agree with their strategy – complete disagreement with that, but the situation at hand is if you have no hope … nothing can justify what has been happening to the Palestinian people for 75 years”. By May 9, disciplinary proceedings had started against Tucker based on the contents of the interview, with her being provisionally suspended until a hearing on May 14. On June 6, Tucker was expelled from ANU, being the first pro-Palestine student protester in Australia to be expelled since the war started on October 7.
After a Zoom meeting on May 8 of the ANU Students' Association, allegations of anti-Semitic gestures, including a Nazi salute and a person putting a finger to below their nose to mimic a Hitler moustache, were put forth after the ANU Union of Jewish Students put forth a motion to address anti-Semitism. The group ANU for Palestine also alleged they were targeted with obscene gestures such as people mouthing the words "fuck you", giving "the middle finger" and making "gagging gestures". ANU has said it is investigating, whilst Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that there needed to be a "dialling down" of debate, calling for "respect for everyone. Anti-Semitism has no place in Australia. Islamophobia has no place in Australia."
On May 15, ANU requested the disbanding of the encampment, with seven students called into a meeting, faced with disciplinary action if they did not attend. In the meeting, they were again threatened with disciplinary action if they did not vacate by May 17. The students were asked to provide a list of names of other students participating in the encampment. Students that were at the meeting felt as if the meeting was an intimidation tactic reminiscent of McCarthyism.
On May 28, the encampment was relocated after ANU threatened to use police to clear it.
Deakin University An encampment started at Deakin on May 7, and was originally slated to run until May 10, however the encampment ran beyond that date. By May 9, Deakin said it was investigating a staffer that was heard threatening to burn down the camp as well as incidents of hate speech, and police were investigating an altercation at Deakin. Deakin requested the "immediate dismantling and removal of the current encampment" on May 13, however the camp did not disperse on that date and protesters have indicated they will not be dismantling the camp. The police responded neutrally, by saying they were aware of the decision and it was a matter for the university, and that police would respond to "potential breaches of the peace or criminal offences." Deakin students said they would be holding a "closing rally" on May 22, and that more protests would follow next semester.
Other encampments and protests An encampment started at Curtin University in Perth on May 1. By May 7, two encampments in Melbourne had been set up at RMIT University and La Trobe University.
La Trobe students demanded the university cut ties with Honeywell, which makes engines for the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone, used by the Israeli military. La Trobe ordered students to leave on May 17, citing safety issues as their reason for issuing the order, although no classes were disrupted and there was no indication of vandalism, occupation of buildings or property damage, unlike other encampments in Melbourne. La Trobe commenced disciplinary proceedings on May 20, and on May 21, the encampment ended.