Protests against the Israel-Hamas war are growing on college campuses across the country and here in California, including at UC Berkeley, where students have set up several tents outside Sproul Hall.
The protesters are asking UC Berkeley to divest itself from companies that build weapons used by Israel against the Palestinian people living in the Gaza strip.
The university released a statement Monday.
"With three weeks left in the semester, Berkeley is prioritizing students’ academic interests. We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the university’s operations. There are no plans to change the university's investment policies and practices," the statement read.
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On Monday night, student protesters at Cal Poly Humboldt forced a campus shutdown after they barricaded themselves inside a building and set up tents and makeshift beds, signaling their intention to spend the night.
Humboldt officials called it "a dangerous and volatile situation."
The protests came on the first night of the Jewish holiday Passover.
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On the East Coast, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Columbia University.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the FBI says the number of anti-Jewish hate crime investigations in the U.S. has tripled. And the bureau is particularly concerned lone actors could target gatherings during Passover, which began Monday night.
At Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland, Rabbi Mark Bloom said his congregation added security cameras and secured windows and doors for Passover.
