Pro-Palestinian campus protests spread across the United States in spring 2024. Students established encampments and called on universities to disclose and withdraw investments connected to Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ freedom-of-expression report recorded protests at more than 70 campuses in 25 states during April and May. It reported more than 3,100 detentions or arrests during the protests.
Charges varied by jurisdiction and included failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. University disciplinary proceedings were separate from those criminal cases, with consequences that could affect students’ access to classes and housing.
The arrest total describes people detained during protests. It is not a count of convictions, prison sentences or people still in custody.
