California university closes doors for semester over anti-Israel protests

California state Polytechnic University at Humboldt announced on Friday that it was closing its doors for the rest of the school year, due to antisemitic protests that have taken over the campus all week.

Pro-Palestine demonstrations have erupted at universities nationwide over the past 10 days, beginning last Wednesday when students at Columbia University began an "Gaza Solidarity Encampment." The protests at Columbia have resulted in more than 100 arrests. Protests at the California university have been going on since Monday, school officials said.

The campus will be closed until May 10, and the last week of classes and exams will be held virtually, school officials said. The school's graduation ceremony will be held on May 11, according to its website.

“The occupation of Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East is causing ongoing inability to open other campus facilities,” a statement from the university read, per Fox News. “Since Monday night, protestors have attempted several times to break into multiple locked buildings with the intention of either locking themselves in, vandalizing, or stealing equipment. Vandalism and theft have continued across campus.”

Protesters nationwide are calling for their schools to cut financial ties with Israel, and divest from companies that have helped Israel amid its ongoing conflict with the terrorist organization Hamas, according to the Associated Press. At the California campus, students also requested that all charges are dropped against protesters, and that harassment from law enforcement be halted.

School officials responded to the protesters's demands on Thursday, according to local media, claiming their policy is to keep content "neutral" when it comes to free speech and lawful protests. They also said they have a responsibility to keep the campus safe for the community, but kept the door open for future negotiations with the protesters.