On April 18, college campuses became the site of the top story in the U.S. Pro-Palestinian student demonstrations at Columbia led to clashes with police and arrests. Inspired by Columbia, hundreds of students have set up protest encampments on a still growing number of campuses to protest Israel’s actions in the war with Hamas.
Wherever the news became most acute, AP journalists jumped in, providing all-formats coverage that has landed on countless front pages across the U.S.
National beat team writers supported their colleagues with enterprise on imperiled graduation ceremonies, calls for amnesty, the roots of students’ calls for divestment, the political implications and an explainer on college endowments, among other stories.
AP customers have accessed protest coverage more than 17,000 times, and page views have topped 1.6 million.