LA police clear pro-Palestinian camp at USC

Earlier this week, police in New York arrested 112 protesters after Columbia University sought help clearing the Manhattan campus. Police later confirmed that an officer accidentally fired his gun during the clear out.

There was also campus tension at USC in mid-April when it announced it would cancel a graduation speech by a valedictorian Muslim student, citing unspecified security concerns.

The move came after complaints that her social media presence was antisemitic.

The university then cancelled the main graduation ceremony, which was set to take place on 10 May. Other commencement events are still set to take place on campus this week.

US universities have been rocked by weeks of protests, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, and for academic institutions to financially divest from Israel and companies who stand to make money from the conflict.

There have been demonstrations at nearly 140 institutions across 45 states and Washington DC since the protests started at Columbia University last month, according to a BBC tally.

Police have detained more than 2,000 people nationwide in the past fortnight at college rallies and protest camps.