the Nationwide campus protests over the war in Gaza have erupted at Princeton University where police arrested two graduate students this morning shortly after demonstrators set up an encampment at the Ivy League school showing their solidarity with other Pro Palestinian movements and vowing to stay put until Princeton divests all funding from companies that are profiting off the Israel Hamas War popup encampments and protests are now at close to 50 colleges and universities across the country from Columbia in New York where students have been protesting for more than a week to the University of Texas and USC all of it igniting a debate over not just the war but American support for Israel and the right to free speech on college campuses Ted Goldberg is in Princeton with the latest Ted Briana some of the students here tell me they plan to remain at this encampment until Princeton fully divests from companies associating with Israel they're joining similar student movements at campuses across the country and the students here tell me this cause is so important to them even if there are run-ins with law enforcement they won't be scared away two graduate students were arrested this morning after pitching tense on MOS Courtyard pitching tense as a school violation the school says after repeated warnings from the Department of Public Safety to Cease the activity and leave the area two graduate students were arrested for trespassing they have been immediately barred from camp campus pending a disciplinary process they will not be able to complete their degrees despite that we have continued and built out a Liberation Zone that is now home to hundreds and hundreds of students who have reclaimed this portion of Campus as their own in celebration of Palestinian life and the life that we will continue to give to Palestine once Princeton divests the intimidation uh on this campus um goes on for weeks and weeks and months and months um the people who have been on this campus have been almost exclusively people of color uh the two students our comrades were also people of color of all the students that they that they could have chosen they have chosen two people of color uh I think that's telling a lot about um the climate here I think the university is acting in a heavy-handed manner to in his treatment of his students particularly the arrest of students the eviction of students from housing I think is not justified I think it supersedes uh policy and and and and procedure the combination protest and sden welcomed students leaving their classes and speakers like journalist Chris Hedges he was nearly arrested after using a megaphone to speak noise amplification or using a speaker is also against the rules at Princeton so he was let off the reaction of the university is atrocious overreaction this is a peaceful nonviolent protest academic freedom here is under assault there is a movement of foot to censor what faculty teach and what students learn there are are bureaucrats and theocrats in the United States government who would like to strip faculty members of tenure Professor Max Weiss joined over a 100 pro Palestinian students here to protest this genocide must stop this genocide is a stain on the world at this point it's a duty for all of us to stand up against genocide against oppression and for Liberation and this is the extension of the colonial Imperial Powers at play there were also counter-protesters by those supporting Israel folks held signs of hostages held by Hamas and they say Princeton is in danger of becoming a hotbed of anti-Semitism jewi students are under attack on campuses Across America Princeton is not the worst I'm from New York I see what's happening to Colombia Colombia recently cancelled in-person classes after reports of anti-semetic language at anti-israel protests student Maximillian Meers says the protesters anti-israel chance are also anti-semitic anti-Semitism is calling for the destruction of the state of Israel the genocide of the Jewish people is anti-Semitism so every student here who's Jewish is experiencing anti-Semitism whether or not they feel that it's direct because these people are calling for things that are anti-semitic and that go towards the destruction of the Jewish people that we cannot stand for we demand that Princeton University divest from companies profiting off of Israeli apartheid and a genocide campaign that has taken the lives of over over 34,000 Palestinians 70% of whom are women and children Emanuel sippy leads Princeton's Alliance of Jewish progressives and she doesn't agree that anti-israel protests are anti-jewish the atrocities that were committed on October 7th were horrific and they do not change the fact that in the last 6 months once again over 34,000 Palestinian lives have been taken if Princeton doesn't divest protesters don't plan to go away anytime soon and counter protesters plan to stay on Princeton's campus as well at Princeton University I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]