Cornell president announces retirement as anti-Israel protests sweep colleges nationwide

Click here to follow continuing Fox News Digital coverage of anti-Israel protests at U.S. college campuses.

An encampment for anti-Israel protesters at MIT that was relatively quiet Thursday evening has regained pro-Palestine chants early Friday morning, a reporter from Fox 25 in Boston tweeted.

"People outside of the MIT encampment are continuing to protest while it appears people inside are being arrested," Boston 25 reporter Ryan Breslin tweeted.

This comes after a rather docile night that followed pro-Palestinian protesters at the school clashing with police on Thursday afternoon. Protesters blocked a parking garage, preventing faculty from coming and going.

“We came to this location because we know this parking lot is important for MIT’s everyday operations and they have chosen to ignore out demands for months,” said Hannah Didehbani, an MIT student, according to this Fox 25 report.

Some protesters were taken into custody. They want MIT to stop funding research for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Fox 25 Boston and Fox 25 reporter Ryan Breslin both contributed to this.

A night of anti-Israel protests on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson has led to university police deploying tear gas, authorities said.

The University of Arizona Police tweeted shortly before midnight local time that an unlawful assembly was being held at University Park. They urged the protesters and general public avoid the area or "leave immediately" if they were present, according to the police department's X account and website.

"Police instructing unlawful assembly to disperse. Chemical munitions deployed. Avoid the area & follow directions of police," they tweeted.

Police began surrounding the encampment around midnight, and there were tweets that they fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd.

Arizona Sen. Justine Wadsack (R-Dist. 17) said the protest was "disorderly" and not exactly "peaceful."

"This is not a peaceful protest when they are trespassing, stealing fencing for barriers, committing disorderly conduct, assaulting police by throwing frozen water bottles at their heads, spraying people with a mixture of CocaCola & yeast while shooting off fireworks!" Wadsack tweeted.

A pro-Palestinian protester holds a Palestinian flag while in front of Sproul Hall during a planned protest on the campus of UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

The University of California, Berkeley canceled a fall debate between two California senate candidates in preparation for continued turmoil from continued campus protests.

In email correspondence obtained by Fox News Digital, a debate, tentatively scheduled for early fall on the California campus between Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, was canceled after the school determined that they "did not have the capacity to ensure a safe and civil event."

"World events have resulted in heightened tensions on campus, which are unlikely to dissipate by the fall and may be even more intense due to the November election," email correspondence from Dr. Christine Trost, the Executive Director of The University of California, Berkeley's College of Governmental Studies, said.

Garvey called for college campuses to "stop pandering" to anti-Israel protesters.

"School administrators and politicians must stop pandering to these antisemitic campus occupations and riots. It’s time we stood up for democracy, freedom of speech, and the safety of students, faculty, and events," he said. "This is a sad day for UC Berkeley."

This is an excerpt from Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten. Click here for the full report.

Anti-Israel demonstrators at Kansas University were arrested Thursday night after protests, the University Daily Kansan reported.

"Several arrests have been made at the University of Kansas. More updates to come. #UniversityofKansas #universityprotests," the student newspaper reported.

The outlet tweeted that "Baldwin City, Eudora, Lawrence, KU police and Douglas County Sheriff" were on the scene of the protests, declaring them illegal and forcing it to disperse or get detained.

Police were also seen hauling away cases of water from the encampment around midnight local time, after the arrests. The number of arrests is unknown for now.

Police in Washington, D.C., gave five warnings for anti-Israel protesters to leave the streets and sidewalks of George Washington University or else they would be arrested.

The standoff between police and chanting protesters lasted for hours, and organizers of the protest reportedly advised the protesters to retreat from campus and tone down their rally for the evening.

Multiple times during the rally, an announcement could be heard from police:

"If you are currently on George Washington University property, you are in violation of DC Code 22-3302, unlawful entry on property. If you are on the sidewalk or street, you are in violation of DC Code 22-1307a. If you do not cease your unlawful behavior and disperse peacefully by exiting 19th and F Street NW, you will be arrested."

Five audible warnings were given, and protesters kept shouting at the police. The police, who held batons and certainly had more manpower than the protesters, began taking steps in a line toward the protesters, who gradually backpedalled to the exit zone.

The protest ended without incident, and the original encampment from last week that was vandalized — including the George Washington statue that was covered in Palestinian garb and eventually cleaned and cordoned off — was not in play during Thursday's protest.

Police in Washington, D.C. gave four warnings late Thursday night to protesters at George Washington University who continued to congregate and cheer "Free, free Palestine."

The crowd chanted, "We're not leaving" to an overwhelming police presence.Police gave a warning to protesters just prior to 11:30 p.m., then a second at 11:33 p.m. and another at 11:35 p.m. A fifth warning was given to protesters to move from streets and sidewalks or they would be arrested.

The confrontation has grown tense heading toward midnight.

The event is being broadcast live on YouTube.

It is still yet to be determined how many anti-Israel protesters were affiliated with the New School.

An anti-Israel protest at the New School campus in New York resulted in an “unconfirmed” number of arrests, per a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“We are aware that the New York Police Department arrested an unconfirmed number of protesters on 13th Street earlier this evening.”

“The university had no part in these arrests, and we cannot confirm if or how many of the individuals are affiliated with The New School."

Nearly 300 anti-Israel protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College alone last week, per the NYPD.

It is yet undetermined how many detainees are affiliated with the New School.

Six student organizers have been placed on mandatory leaves of absence after participating in 15 days of an unlawful "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," according to the Daily Pennsylvanian.

The six students received letters from Vice Provost for University Life notifying them of the disciplinary action, citing Section III.D of the Charter of the University of Pennsylvania Student Disciplinary System.

According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, the letters also cited "threat[s] to order and safety" and “increasingly unsafe conditions” as reasoning for the mandatory leaves.

One of the student protesters allegedly had her campus ID card deactivated and could not access her dorm room, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The UPenn university handbook states that leaves of absence are enforced when there are “extraordinary circumstances."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the University of Pennsylvania's office of communications for comment.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, center, joins Cornell University President Martha Pollack, left, for a visit with students at the Center for Jewish Living at Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 30, 2023. On Thursday, Pollack announced her retirement from her post at the university. (Lindsay France/Cornell University)

Ithaca, New York-based Cornell University’s president, Martha E. Pollack, announced on Thursday that she will retire on June 30, as the campus grapples with anti-Israel protests, much like schools across the nation.

Cornell University Board of Trustees Kraig H. Kayser said in a prepared statement that Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff will step in as interim president starting on July 1, at which time Pollack will be given the title of president emerita by the Cornell Board of Trustees. She will serve in the role for two years, as a search committee looks for the 15th president within six to nine months of the end of Kotlikoff’s term.

"Serving as the president of Cornell has been an amazing privilege; there are few roles that afford so much opportunity to make a positive difference in the world," Pollack wrote in a statement announcing her departure. "After seven fruitful and gratifying years as Cornell’s president — capping a career in research and academia spanning five decades — I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. I greatly appreciate the continued support of our Board of Trustees and the many faculty, students, staff and alumni who have shared words of encouragement through my time as president, especially over the past academic year."

Pollack is credited with helping to create the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, expanding the accessibility and affordability of a Cornell education, and launching the school’s first-ever theme year celebrating free and open expression and inquiry, among other things.

She also led the university through a global pandemic and the terrorist attack in Israel and subsequent war in Gaza, which sent shockwaves across the nation and in higher education.

Cornell Law School professor William A. Jacobson, who is also president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and founder of EqualProtect.org, told Fox News Digital that people typically retire because they are aging out of their role or coming toward the end of their term. He also said when someone retires, you typically expect more than two months’ notice, though he was not privy of knowing whether she submitted her resignation to the Board of Trustees much earlier.

Jacobson added that he's also not privy to Pollack's interactions with the trustees, though what he could say was she has been under "tremendous" pressure over the rising antisemitism on campus.

"My personal belief is that this is related to what has happened since October 7th, which is that the university has come under severe criticism for how it handled antisemitism on campus," Jacobson said, explaining the school has been the subject of a congressional inquiry and negative publicity over incidents on campus.

In one incident, Cornell student Patrick Dai threatened to shoot Jewish students on campus and slit their throats. The threats were made in a Cornell University discussion forum, according to the Justice Department. Dai has pleaded guilty to making the threats.In another incident, a Cornell University professor apologized for saying he was "exhilarated" and "energized" by the October 7 terror attacks in Israel, in which Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people, including over 30 Americans.Cornell University professor Russell Rickford later issued an apology.

"I apologize for the horrible choice of words that I used in a portion of a speech that was intended to stress grassroots African American, Jewish, and Palestinian traditions of resistance to oppression," Rickford said in a letter published in the Cornell Daily Sun.

He added that the language he used was "reprehensible," and did not reflect his values, while also denouncing "racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, militarism, fundamentalism and all systems that dehumanize, divide and oppress people."

These were just two examples of anti-Israel sentiment that Pollack failed to adequately address, Jacobson said.

'There have been very aggressive protests on campus that she has tried to get a handle on without success, such as anti-Israel students in groups marching through academic buildings with bullhorns, chanting anti-Israel slogans and genocidal slogans against Jews.

There is an encampment now that has persisted long beyond what has persisted on other campuses. So, this is a president, who by all appearances, is a nice person, but who is not equipped to address the aggressive campus events that took place, really starting on Oct. 7," Jacobson continued.

Along with antisemitism across campus, Pollack’s aggressive DEI initiatives have come under question, which resulted in one of the school’s major donors calling for her resignation.

In an open letter to Kayser and the Board of Trustees in January, Cornell emeritus trustee and presidential counselor Jon A. Lindseth urged the university to abandon its "misguided commitment" to DEI, claiming its embrace of such initiatives has yielded "disgrace" rather than "excellence."

"I am proud to count myself one of several generations of Lindseths who are Cornell alumni and invested donors, but I am alarmed by the diminished quality of education offered lately by my alma mater because of its disastrous involvement with DEI policies that have infiltrated every part of the university," he wrote.

"I have spent years hearing the stories of Cornell and its leadership, participating as a student, and sponsoring and funding some of the University’s exemplary past work, including the Library (which I continue to fund). I can no longer make general contributions until the university reformulates its approach to education by replacing DEI groupthink with the original noble intent of Cornell," he added.

Jacobson has been critical of Cornell's DEI program for a number of years.

In October 2023, he called on the school’s board of trustees to act after a series of antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents left Jewish students feeling uncomfortable and unsafe on campus.

At the time, he called on the trustees to pause new DEI initiatives, adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and form a special independent commission to investigate antisemitism on campus, which he argued was among the effects of the school's DEI programs.

Jacobson said Thursday he never heard back from the trustees on his request.Fox News Digital also reached out to the trustees for comment on the requests, as well as Pollack’s retirement, but was deferred to the university's publicly released statements.

Jacobson said he is calling for the trustees to do away with DEI programming and refocus the activities of the professional staff of the university away from group identity and toward the dignity of every individual without regard to race or other identities.

In a statement to the Cornell University community announcing her retirement, Pollack said she began deliberating about leaving last fall and made the decision over the December break. But each of the three times she was ready to act on her decision, she said she needed to pause because of the events occurring on her campus and other campuses across the U.S.

"There is so much more to Cornell than the current turmoil taking place at universities across the country right now, and I hope we do not lose sight of that," Pollack said. "Local and world events have caused enormous pain for students of many backgrounds, including our Jewish and Israeli students, as well as our Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students. We have been vigilant in working to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our community from all backgrounds, work I’ve been dedicated to long before the events of the past year."

She offered one piece of advice to the Cornell community going forward.

"We must develop more capacity to seek out different perspectives and be willing to listen to those with whom we differ, doing so with intellectual curiosity and an open mind; at the same time, we must always consider the impact of what we say to one another; and we must thoughtfully engage in debate," Pollack said. "Yes, there are instances in which a position is so hateful that it does not deserve a response, but there are many more occasions where views we are predisposed to dislike deserve consideration, principled argument, and, if needed, refutation. A willingness to communicate across differences is the only way forward for higher education, and indeed for our democracy."

The school, she added, has risen to challenges over the past 159 years, and will continue to do so, while also thriving.

Pollack did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

But when it came to why she was leaving, Pollack said she was ready for a new chapter.

"I understand that there will be lots of speculation about my decision, so let me be as clear as I can: This decision is mine and mine alone," she said. "After seven fruitful and gratifying years as Cornell’s president — and after a career in research and academia spanning five decades — I’m ready for a new chapter in my life."

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner, Nikolas Lanum and Brian Flood contributed to this report.

At a demonstration against Israel's participation in the popular Eurovision competition in Malmo, Sweden, Gen Z climate activist Greta Thunberg shared she believed pro-Palestinian protests should be "everywhere."

The activist stated that "once again, young people are leading the way" in reference to the anti-Israel protesters in Malmo and at college campuses across the world.

Israel's participation in the Eurovision competition and television show has been controversial in this 2024 season, with finalist Eden Golan being forced to change lyrics to song "October Rain" in reference to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The Eurovision Song Contest added in a statement, "The Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that unites audiences around the world through music." The Eurovision competition finals will be televised to over 150 million people on Saturday.

Cornell University File Photo

The 14th president of Cornell University, Martha Pollack, announced her retirement effective June 30th according the school.

Pollack stated in her retirement announcement, “After seven fruitful and gratifying years as Cornell’s president – capping a career in research and academia spanning five decades – I’m ready for a new chapter in my life."

The Cornell president had previously faced calls for resignation in January of this year for her "headlong support for DEI policies” from former trustee Jon Lindseth.

Pollack acknowledged in her statement that "there will be lots of speculation about my decision."

Cornell University shared another statement from president Martha Pollack with Fox News Digital, where she stressed "There is so much more to Cornell than the current turmoil taking place at universities across the country right now, and I hope we do not lose sight of that."

The Brown Daily Herald reported that The Rhode Island School of Design's four-day "sit-in for dissociation from Israel" officially ended at approximately 1:45 pm EDT Thursday. RISD fire marshalls cleared a barricade made on the second floor of the building around 12:30 pm EDT.

20 demonstrators participated in the occupation of the administrative building, known as Prov-Wash to students.

The anti-Israel protesters left willingly after being threatened with expulsion if they did not vacate by 2:30 pm.

Fox News Digital has reached out to RISD Public Relations Director Jamie Marland for comment.

Anti-Israel demonstrators at MIT blocked the exit of a parking garage near Stata Center Thursday. Protesters allegedly jumped on top of cars and shouted insults at police.

Both MIT campus police and Cambridge police detained demonstrators. At least two anti-Israel protesters were arrested. Officers have since formed a barrier for vehicles to safely exit.

An anti-Israel encampment was still present on campus at Kresge lawn despite calls from administration to vacate, one day after the school began issuing suspensions for the demonstrators.

Pro-Israel student demonstrators laid flags from the Jewish nation in the grass near the encampment as a form of counter-protest ahead of Israel's independence day next week.

Under new legislation being proposed by a Republican senator , universities could be rendered ineligible for federal monetary assistance if they don't promptly remove encampments, such as those erected during anti-Israel demonstrations across the country. 

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will introduce The Encampments or Endowments Act on Thursday in response to the various escalating protests professing anti-Israel sentiments at institutions of higher education, many of which have disrupted classes and school events, including graduation at some universities. 

"We cannot allow people who hate our country to turn campuses into garbage dumps. My legislation will force colleges to follow the law, protect their students, and shut these encampments down. If they refuse, they’ll pay a hefty price. It’s time to end this national embarrassment," Vance told Fox News digital in a statement. 

The Ohio senator's bill will come as police have either arrested or detained over 2,200 people during demonstrations at about 49 college campuses in 26 states between April 18 and May 3.

Per the bill, schools that do not clear encampments within a week would not be eligible for financial assistance under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which authorized numerous programs to support post-secondary education and provide student aid programs to assist with the cost of school for applicants.  

Additionally, Vance's new legislation would disallow those schools from participating in Title IV programs if they fail to clear the encampments.

Alex Karp, chief executive officer of Palantir Technologies Inc., during the FoundryCon event in Palo Alto, California, US, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Billionaire Palantir CEO Alex Karp recently described wokeness as the main threat to his tech company and America overall. 

The outspoken executive made the statement during a recent earnings call, noting that his company, which specializes in making software for data collection, had seen strong growth in the latest period because it champions western values while other companies and institutions have suffered for embracing progressive ideology.

"I think the central risk to Palantir and America and the world is a regressive way of thinking that is corrupting and corroding our institutions that calls itself ‘progressive,’ but actually — and is called ‘woke,’ but is actually a form of a thin pagan religion," Karp said.

"There are lots of questions about why we are so active in defending the values of the West, that our belief that the West is a superior way to live, and our ways of organizing around that are the reason why our products are transformative," he said.

Karp continued, "the reason why we have the best people in the world; the reason why a Palantir degree, as it were, is much more valuable than an Ivy League degree."

He went on, stating that "the Ivy Leagues" have "embraced the thin and new woke religion, otherwise, viewed as an intellectual cause, but in fact, is a way of organizing things so that the greatest institutions of our time disappear and turn into discriminatory dysfunction."

Karp called Palantir a "counter-example" to companies that have embraced wokeness, adding, "I’m super proud of the results. We are going to continue to execute, especially in the U.S."

FOX Business' Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

Two Jewish University of Texas at Dallas students on Wednesday spoke out about their fear of being on campus after 21 people were arrested at a protest last week.

At a press conference, the students said they faced antisemitic hate speech on campus that has only gotten worse since the war in Gaza started. 

"I am a Jewish-Israeli student, and I have personally experienced antisemitism on campus before and after Oct. 7," said Ofer Turjeman, according to FOX 4 Dallas. 

She described how the culture at UT Dallas has "deteriorated" to the point where Jewish students are harassed on campus. 

"We want to make it clear that we support every student's right to free speech and expression," Turjeman said. "However, I'm here to share with you how the culture at UT has deteriorated to the point where Jewish students no longer feel welcome or safe on campus."

Jewish student Jade Steinberg said the antisemitism issue is bigger than last week’s incident, distinguishing between free speech and violence. 

"It does not give you the ability to threaten to call for violence. It gives you the ability to peacefully protest. And unfortunately, a lot of what we have been seeing on campus has not been peacefully protesting," he said.

A union representing custodians at Columbia University says it is gearing up to sue the Ivy League school for its response to the anti-Israel protests, in which its members allegedly were targeted by "spoiled" and "bratty" agitators who temporarily took over a campus building. 

TWU International President John Samuelsen told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Thursday that his rank and file is "particularly incensed at Columbia for not protecting the workers and particularly pissed at those particular protesters that tried to hold our workers in the building" during the occupation of Hamilton Hall early last week. 

"Everybody in the building, the entire TWU workforce in the building was fearful and rightfully so. They stormed in... but two of the custodians had to fight their way out. They were explicitly told ‘you’re staying here, you’re not going anywhere, this cause is bigger than you," Samuelsen said. "Imagine that... kind of smarmy, sort of entitled, spoiled, bratty occupiers of the building come in and tell these blue-collar men and women ‘you’re not going anywhere, you’re staying here because this cause is bigger than you’ when they had to get home to their families. It’s outrageous, it’s an affront to workers everywhere." 

"Columbia should have never put the custodians or the security officer in that position and that is at the heart of the matter," Samuelsen also said. "Columbia showed an epic disregard and epically failed to protect the workforce. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this update.

Protesters hold signs and chant slogans as they demonstrate against President Joe Biden's visit to Chicago, where he is attending a fundraising event for his presidential campaign, on May 8, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Democrats are divided over the anti-Israel protests that have erupted on college campuses across the country this spring over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, according to a new national poll.

And the USA Today/Suffolk University survey released on Wednesday indicates that Republicans are mostly united in their opposition to the demonstrations, some of which have turned violent in recent weeks. 

The protests in support of Palestinians have grabbed plenty of attention on cable news and online coverage. Demonstrators have criticized President Biden's support for Israel in its battle with Hamas and have called on colleges and universities to cut financial ties with the government in Jerusalem.

According to the poll, 32% of Democrats questioned say they support the demonstrations, with 38% saying they agree with the protesters' demands but oppose the way they are conducting themselves. Seventeen percent of Democrats said they oppose the protests.

It's a different story with Republicans, 81% of whom said they oppose the protests. Four percent of Republicans questioned said they support the demonstrations, with 9% saying they agree with the protesters' demands but oppose the way they are conducting themselves.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Emory University undergraduate students overwhelmingly voted in favor of a no-confidence referendum against President Gregory Fenves after police cracked down on an anti-Israel protest on campus in Atlanta.

About 3,400 members of the 8,100 undergraduate student body voted with 73% voting no confidence in the school's president, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

The results were 2,499 in favor of the motion, 844 opposed and 58 students who abstained. 

The student vote, conducted on an online portal called the Emory Hub, comes less than a week after the Faculty Senate for Emory College of Arts and Sciences voted 358-119 in favor of a "Motion of No Confidence and Demand for Redress" over Fenves' handling of the protests, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. 

In response to the vote, the university released a statement that said, "31% of the total undergraduate student body voted in favor of the motion. While we take any concerns expressed by members of our community seriously, Emory community members are sharing a wide range of perspectives that are not reflected in the motion passed by SGA."

Dozens of protesters were arrested after Fenves called police to campus to break up an anti-Israel encampment on April 25. 

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., speaks alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at Columbia University on April 24, 2024, in New York City. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., penned a letter to Columbia President Minouche Shafik on Wednesday, asking for a list of graduating students from his district so that he can organize for them "the graduation ceremony they deserve" after the Ivy League school canceled its main commencement ceremony. 

D’Esposito said he finds it "appalling that Columbia University students have been deprived of their commencement ceremony," noting how, for some, "graduating from higher education is the pinnacle of their life thus far – an important milestone celebrated by family, friends and loved ones." 

Many of the college seniors this May missed out on their high school graduation ceremonies four years ago in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These students have worked extremely hard, invested a tremendous amount of money, and succeeded in meeting requirements to proudly graduate," the letter obtained by Fox News Digital said. "Your inability to maintain order on campus, keep students safe and end hate-filled violence has led to this." 

D'Esposito asked that Shafik "provide a list of students who call New York’s Fourth Congressional District home, and I will work with community leaders and partners in government to provide them with the graduation ceremony they deserve." 

"Leadership at Columbia has failed these students," he added. "We won’t fail them as well." 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.

What was supposed to be a memorable day of taking photos at USC’s historical spots on campus soon spiraled into a Jewish graduate student confronting antisemitism head-on at the prestigious school that’s been rocked by anti-Israel radicals, the student recounted to Fox News Digital. 

"I was walking around my campus to some of the more historic parts to get a good picture, and I was followed. Two individuals from that encampment, they stalked us, and they harassed us. They followed us for a good 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes. Really wanted to come up to us to get in our faces," graduate student Mark Rayant told Fox News Digital in an interview this month. 

Rayant is graduating with a master’s degree this year, but like his fellow students, will not enjoy a full graduation ceremony due to the anti-Israel agitators that have run rampant on the school. USC was the first major university in the nation to cancel its main graduation ceremony due to radical protesters, which was soon followed by universities such as Emory and Columbia also canceling ceremonies. 

Los Angeles police clad in riot gear flanked the campus this weekend, removing agitators from an anti-Israel encampment, where students and outside protesters demanded the school cut financial ties with Israel. A student-led group called the USC Divest from Death Coalition detailed a list of six demands, including "no policing on campus," "full amnesty" for those associated with the school who are reprimanded for the protests, and ending study abroad programs in Israel. 

The removal of the encampment on Sunday was the second time police swept the campus and removed protesters since last month. 

"I came to campus to take some graduation photos for my family, you know, for the memories of it. And I came wearing a shirt that I got at one of the Jewish organizations, wearing the dog tags to represent the hostages that are still in captivity, many of them are American citizens," Rayant said. 

He then noticed a pair of anti-Israel agitators following him as he toured campus, he said. 

"Their attempts are to bully us, to intimidate us, and to instill fear in us, to try to silence us. To try to make us disappear. But they won't do it," he continued. 

Rayant said he took matters into his own hands and confronted the agitators, describing that Jews on campus will not be "silenced" by radicals. 

"I walked up to them. And I said, you know, 'If you're going to be brave, if you really want to follow me, why don't you come and take a picture with me?' I told them, I wasn't afraid of them. I wasn't going to let them intimidate us. Because we deserve to be here too. I've worked very hard at this institution, I worked extremely hard to give back to my community, to build organizations that help people in need, and I deserve to celebrate my graduation. Whether these bullies and these aggressors want to intimidate us out of our celebration or not, we deserve that," he said. 

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks during an election night watch party, Nov. 8, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost informed the state's public universities that masked student protesters are potentially in violation of a law written to crack down on KKK demonstrations.

In a letter sent Monday, following weeks of anti-Israel demonstrations where masked protesters have chanted antisemitic slogans and threatened Jewish students, Yost advised the presidents of Ohio's 34 public, four-year universities to forewarn students about the 1953 law.

“In our society, there are few more significant career-wreckers than a felony charge,” the letter said. “I write to you today to inform your student bodies of an Ohio law that, in the context of some behavior during the recent pro-Palestinian protests, could have that effect.”

The law is contained in a single sentence: “No person shall unite with two or more others to commit a misdemeanor while wearing white caps, masks, or other disguise.” Violating this “anti-disguise” law is punishable by a fourth-degree felony charge, up to $5,000 in fines and five years on community control, Yost wrote.

Yost, a potential Republican candidate for governor in 2026, urged students to protest "within the bounds of the law," not to commit crimes, not to use the First Amendment as "a sword against fellow students," and to "own their advocacy and avoid wearing masks." 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

David Banks, chancellor of New York Public schools, answers a question during a House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., grilled New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks on Wednesday about a pro-Hamas teacher and the principal of Hillcrest High School, where an antisemitic riot unfolded in the hallways following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel, having so far remained on the payroll despite promised consequences. 

During a line of questioning by Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., Banks testified before the House Education and the Workforce Committee that the former principal of Hillcrest High School in the Jamaica Hills neighborhood of Queens still draws a paycheck from New York City Public Schools months after approximately 400 students roved the halls on Nov. 20, demanding the ouster of a Jewish educator after learning she attended a rally in support of Israel.

Stefanik doubled down on Banks, who repeatedly said the principal was "removed" from that role but was not terminated by the department. Banks said he could not confirm whether the former Hillcrest High School principal now serves as director of teacher development and evaluation, and Stefanik demanded clarification on his new role by the end of the day. 

"That’s concerning to me that you have him in a senior position, and what’s very concerning about these hearings is that we’re getting lip service but a lack of enforcement, a lack of accountability," Stefanik said. "And these rules and policies matter whether it’s teachers, administrators or students violating the rules."

Stefanik also pointed to Origins High School in Brooklyn, where reports claimed 40 to 50 students in October marched through the hallways chanting "Death to Israel" and "Kill the Jews." 

But Banks said a New York City Public Schools probe "found no evidence that there was any movement through the halls saying 'Death to the Jews.’"

"And I treat that very, very seriously. That was reported in the papers," Banks said. "We have found no evidence that that actually happened. What we have found are a wide range of deeply troubling, antisemitic things that have happened at Origins High School. This is the one case that has troubled me the most, Congresswoman, I will tell you that."   

Banks said a "number of students" were suspended from Origins High School, but the case is "now is under litigation." 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.

The chancellor of New York City Public Schools on Wednesday told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there have been 281 antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents within his school system since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but one case troubles him the most. 

David Banks made the admission to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education during a hearing titled "Confronting pervasive antisemitism in K-12 schools." 

"We've had 281 incidents since October 7th — approximately 42% were antisemitic and 30% were Islamophobic," Banks said. "We take every single one of those very, very seriously. We investigate and then we initiate the appropriate level of conduct." 

But during an exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Banks admitted that allegations surrounding behavior at Origins High School in Brooklyn have "troubled" him the most. 

Stefanik said, "In October, 40 to 50 students marched through Origins High School chanting ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Kill the Jews.’"

"In addition, an independent investigation found that a teacher who teaches global history was told by a student, quote, ‘I wish you were killed.’ Another student called her, quote, ‘a dirty Jew.’ And the student said he wished Hitler could have hit more Jews, including her," she continued. "What disciplinary actions have been taken against those students who chanted ‘Death to Israel’ at Origins High School and against the student who harassed with antisemitic slurs?" 

Banks responded by saying that "when we have done our investigation, we have found no evidence that there was any movement through the hall saying, ‘Death to the Jews.'"

"We looked at, and I treat that very, very seriously. That was reported in the papers. We have found no evidence that that actually happened," he added. "What we have found a wide range of deeply troubling antisemitic things that have happened at Origins High School. This is the one case that has troubled me the most, Congresswoman, I will tell you that." 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this update.

Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was swarmed by a group of anti-Israel protesters last week as she celebrated her daughter's college graduation at a local restaurant.

The exchange occurred at Bobcat Bonnie's, a brunch-style restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, not far from the University of Michigan, when a group screaming about "genocide" in Gaza approached Whitmer.

"How do you justify genocide?" the protesters repeatedly screamed as Whitmer's security detail blocked them from coming into contact with her.

The protesters continued screaming, asking how Whitmer was able to "sleep at night," and what she was doing to help Palestinian children.

"I appreciate you raising your voice in here. I'm at a graduation meal with my daughter," Whitmer responded to the group before being interrupted.

"What about all of the children that are in mass graves? What about them?" one of the protesters yelled as Whitmer asked them to "respectfully" not be disruptive.

Whitmer responded that the situation in Gaza was "heartbreaking."

Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillespie contributed to this update.

A new House Republican bill would send any person charged and convicted for illegal activity on a college campus to Gaza for at least six months.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced the bill on Wednesday alongside Reps. Randy Weber, R-Texas, and Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., in response to the ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses across the country.

Several of those protests have turned violent, with clashes between police and activists, as well as hundreds of activists being arrested across multiple campuses.

While Ogles' bill text does not mention Israel or the anti-Israel groups, it specifically targets unlawful activity on college campuses after Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants invaded Israel in a surprise attack that killed over 1,000 people. 

Those convicted would be forced to serve a minimum six-month community service sentence in Gaza, where Israel is currently waging a brutal campaign to eradicate Hamas and rescue the remaining Israelis that terrorists took hostage in October.

"Students have abandoned their classes to harass other students and disrupt campus-wide activities, including university commencement ceremonies nationwide. Enough is enough," Ogles told Fox News Digital.

"That’s why I introduced legislation to send any person convicted of unlawful activity on the campus of an American university since October 7th, 2023, to Gaza to complete a minimum of six months of community service."

Weber added, "If you support a terrorist organization, and you participate in unlawful activity on campuses, you should get a taste of your own medicine. I am going to bet that these pro-Hamas supporters wouldn’t last a day, but let’s give them the opportunity."

The bill is likely to face uncertain odds in the House, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority of just one seat. Even if it passed, the Democrat-controlled Senate will almost certainly ignore it.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this update.

A defaced statue of George Washington at its namesake school in Washington, D.C., was seen covered Wednesday after police cleared an anti-Israel encampment and arrested dozens of protesters. 

For nearly two weeks, the statue was covered in Palestinian iconography, including multiple flags, a keffiyeh and stickers that read: "Free Palestine" and "Free Gaza." The words "Genocidal Warmonger University" were spray-painted at the base. 

George Washington University spokesperson Josh Grossman told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the school planned to "engage on restoring the statue with professionals who are best equipped to manage this work when we are ready to proceed."  

GWU, like other universities nationwide, has been the site of formidable anti-Israel protests that saw demonstrators setting up an encampment on school grounds and calling for administrators to cut all ties with Israel over its war in Gaza.

Last week, several Republican members of the House oversight panel toured the campus and condemned D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. police for declining the university’s request to intervene. Bowser on Monday said city officials and the police declined the university's request to intervene because there wasn't any violence for officers to interrupt.

Bowser, a Democrat, and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith had been summoned to testify Wednesday afternoon before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to discuss their handling of the protest. 

But the committee called off the hearing after police intervened early Wednesday to clear the tent encampment at GWU. Police made 33 arrests, including for assault on a police officer and unlawful entry. 

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this update.

Students gather for a anti-Israel protest at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aleksandar Furtula)

Police in riot gear confronted hundreds of people at the University of Amsterdam Wednesday in the second straight day of anti-Israel demonstrations protesting the war in Gaza.

Police broke up a blockade on university grounds, but the large crowd of demonstrators moved to a nearby square and continued to protest late into the evening, demanding an end to the war. Some called on the university to divest from Israel — an echo of anti-Israel protest demands at U.S. college campuses. 

It is unclear how many people were arrested or whether anyone suffered injuries.

Meanwhile at Utrecht University, about 30 miles to the south, students occupied a university building to protest Israeli actions in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Student protests have spread across Europe following similar demonstrations at U.S. college and university campuses, where more than 2,600 protesters have been arrested at 50 college campuses, according to the Associated Press. 

The war started after Palestinian terrorist groups attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people in a surprise onslaught and taking around 250 hostage. Israel's' retaliatory military operation has killed thousands of Palestinians and has devastated the Gaza Strip.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Anti-Israel students and demonstrators shout slogans at the campus of SOAS University of London as students occupy parts of university campus in London, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged his government to end "antisemitic abuse" at U.K. universities as the anti-Israel protest movement that began in the U.S. at Columbia University has spread to Europe.

Sunak and his education secretary are scheduled to meet with university leaders Thursday at the prime minister's office in Downing Street, the Associated Press reported.

“A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse,” Sunak said in a statement. “This has to stop.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

About a dozen encampments have been built at universities including Oxford and Cambridge in recent days. The demonstrations so far have been relatively small and peaceful, but some Jewish students have expressed concerns about antisemitism.

The number of antisemitic incidents on U.K. university campuses tripled last year after Israel invaded Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 terror attacks, according to the Communities Security Trust, a group that opposes antisemitism in Britain. 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.