(NewsNation) — Student pro-Palestinian protests over the Israel-Hamas war have erupted at campuses nationwide as students call for universities to separate themselves from companies advocating Israel’s military efforts in Gaza and in some cases from Israel itself.

Police have arrested hundreds nationwide since detainments at Columbia University on April 17.

University officials are trying to resolve the protests as the academic year winds down, but students have dug in at several high-profile universities.

Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests antisemitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses those allegations to silence opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.

Here is a timeline of protests on college campuses across the country.

Columbia University becomes driving force behind pro-Palestine protests

April 17, 2024: Students set up an encampment at Columbia University to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas launching a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.

It occurred the same day the university’s president, Nemat Shafik, was called for question before Congress. Shafik was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on Columbia’s campus. Allegations of antisemitism arose during pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza.

The movement at Columbia sparked more protests on college campuses around the country.

First attempt to clear Columbia encampment

April 18, 2024: The New York City Police Department was called to Columbia’s campus to disband the protest encampment and arrest more than 100 protesters. Those detained include the daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, who a day earlier had questioned Shafik about the school’s treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The arrests, which New York Mayor Eric Adams said were requested by Columbia officials, garnered national attention and inflamed college protests nationwide.

In the following days, pro-Palestinian encampments were set up at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina.

Colleges tasked to handle classes and graduation

April 19, 2024: The University of Southern California announced it canceled the keynote commencement speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu. USC had already disallowed its student valedictorian, who is Muslim, from speaking at the May 10 commencement.

April 23, 2024: Columbia University cancels in-person classes. The university announced that most classes will be held in a hybrid manner for the rest of the spring semester, and it upped security amid the demonstrations, NewsNation local affiliate PIX11 writes. The campus locked its gate to anyone without a school ID.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden addressed the unrest and tried to find a middle ground by condemning “antisemitic protests.” He added that he condemns “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

April 24, 2024: An encampment is set up at the University of Connecticut.

Columbia administrators set a new midnight deadline for protesters to clear the encampment. While some leave, others dig in and refuse to disband until the school agrees to stop doing business with Israel or any companies that support the latest Israel-Hamas war.

Elsewhere, police make more arrests on other university campuses. At the University of Texas at Austin, hundreds of local and state police — including some on horseback and holding batons — aggressively clash with protesters, pushing them off campus grounds, and arresting more than 30 people. At the University of Southern California, police peacefully arrest student protesters.

Columbia University issues shelter-in-place order

April 29, 2024: Columbia University officials gave students until 2 p.m. on April 29 to leave the encampment of more than 100 tents or face suspension. Yet, protesters continued to chant “Free Palestine” far past that deadline with dozens of tents still on campus.

Around the country, the number of arrests at campuses nationwide reached more than 1,000 as the final days of class wrap up.

April 30, 2024: The two-week standoff between pro-Palestinian protesters and college administrators came to a head. Nearly 12 hours after the university’s deadline expired, protestors took over Hamilton Hall, barricading entrances and hanging a “Free Palestine” banner from a window as administrators warned that they face expulsion.

Protestors insisted they’d remain at the hall until the university agreed to three demands: divestment from Israel and companies supporting the war in Gaza, financial transparency and amnesty for protesters.

The university issued a shelter-in-place order as scores of police officers in riot gear swarmed near the campus while the protesters continued to occupy the building.

Shortly before officers entered the campus, the NYPD received a notice from Columbia authorizing officers to take action. After entering the campus, a contingent of police officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields and zip ties approached Hamilton Hall. Scores of officers climbed through a window to enter the occupied building, streaming in over a ramp raised from the top of a police vehicle to get inside.

Multiple protesters were taken into custody and taken away from campus on buses.

Columbia said students occupying the building face expulsion, that those who did not abide by the deadline terms were being suspended and seniors will be ineligible to graduate on May 15.

It was 56 years ago, on April 30, 1968, that the NYPD marched into Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall and arrested students protesting the Vietnam War.

May 1, 2024:

Police arrested 292 people — 173 at The City College of New York and 119 at Columbia — NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said. Officials haven’t released how many nonstudent arrests were made.

Though people who entered Hamilton Hall included students, Adams insisted that “it was led by individuals who were not affiliated with the university.”

“There is a movement to radicalize young people. And I’m not going to wait until it is done to acknowledge the existence of it,” Adams said.

Adams added that police have identified organizations and people with a history of escalating situations. He repeatedly cited the presence of a woman on Columbia’s campus whose husband Adams said had been “convicted for terrorism.” However, the woman, Nahla Al-Arian, wasn’t on Columbia’s campus this week and isn’t among the protesters who were arrested.

Protests end with student-school agreements

April 30, 2024: Yale authorities cleared a protesters’ encampment after students heeded final warnings to leave, university officials said. Yale and New Haven, Connecticut, police officers were at the site, but no arrests were reported.

Yale officials said they warned that students could be arrested and face discipline, including suspension if they didn’t clear the grassy quad area.

Demonstrators moved their gathering to a public sidewalk area. It was the second encampment removed since last week. On April 22, police arrested nearly 50 people, including 44 students, and took down dozens of tents.

May 1: 2024: Northwestern and Brown Universities ended situations involving pro-Palestinian protesters after cutting deals with protest leaders.

Northwestern President Michael Schill and top administrators agreed to several protester demands, including full scholarships for some Palestinian students and guaranteed jobs for some Palestinian academics.

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, cut its own deal with protesters. Administrators promised to hold a board vote in October on whether to end the school’s investments in companies linked to Israel. Before then, student leaders will meet with Brown administrators to discuss divestment arguments.

Brown also says students participating in the protests won’t be punished.

Northwestern’s protests will continue through May, but students won’t be allowed to pitch tents except one for aid supplies. Protesters must also get school permission to use loudspeakers.

By April 30, most of the protester encampment on the campus in the Chicago suburb of Evanston was gone.

House passes bill to expand definition of antisemitism

May 1, 2024: The House passed legislation that would establish a broader definition of antisemitism for the U.S. Department of Education to enforce anti-discrimination laws.

The legislation titled the “Antisemitism Awareness Act,” which passed 320-91 with bipartisan support, would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal anti-discrimination law that bars discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics or national origin.

The legislation now goes to the Senate where its fate is uncertain.

Pro-Palestinian protestors refuse to leave UCLA

May 2, 2024: Officers removed barricades at UCLA and moved in on hundreds of protesters who defied orders to leave, scuffling with protesters and making dozens of arrests.

Multiple law enforcement agencies moved in early Thursday to break up an encampment on campus, setting off flash-bangs.

Protesters responded to law enforcement tactics with chants, including “You don’t scare us” and “We’re not leaving.” They also have been spraying some sort of tear gas or bear spray at approaching officers.

Police began arresting more protesters as the encampment barrier was taken down by authorities. There were also negotiators on the front lines, trying to encourage protesters to leave. All responding agencies have shown significant restraint, encroaching and dismantling the encampment.

Meanwhile, Columbia University announced all remaining exams and class sessions will be held remotely for the rest of the academic year at its Morningside Heights campus. Any papers, projects or presentations due this week are delayed until next week.

NewsNation’s digital staff, correspondents Nancy Loo, Brooke Shafer and Rich McHugh, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.