Police intervened to disband a makeshift settlement at New York University (NYU) on Monday evening, resulting in several arrests.
Earlier in the day, a multitude of students were taken into custody at Yale, while Columbia University opted to suspend face-to-face classes.
The administration at the White House has denounced incidents of anti-Semitic nature that have tainted certain demonstrations.
Since the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7, triggering Israel's offensive in Gaza, protests and fervent discussions concerning the Israel-Gaza conflict and freedom of expression have roiled campuses across the United States.
On American soil, students on opposing sides assert there has been an uptick in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic occurrences since then.
When queried about the demonstrations on Monday, President Joe Biden stated his condemnation for both "the anti-Semitic protests" and "those who lack comprehension of the Palestinian situation".
The protest movement gained prominence last week following the intervention of New York City law enforcement at Columbia's campus, resulting in the apprehension of over 100 demonstrators.
Since then, demonstrations have proliferated. Alongside NYU and Yale, makeshift settlements have sprung up at the University of California in Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan, Emerson College, and Tufts University.
Echoing their counterparts, the NYU protesters are urging their institution to divulge and disinvest its "financial ties and investments from arms manufacturers and entities associated with the Israeli occupation".
One student, Alejandro Tanon, conveyed to the AFP news agency that the United States was at a "critical juncture", drawing parallels between the protests and historical movements such as those against the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa.
"We stand in solidarity with Palestine and advocate for the liberation of all peoples," expressed one protester to CBS News, the US affiliate of the BBC.
Conversely, another individual, displaying an Israeli flag across the street, remarked: "There are clear sides here, and there is a righteous side."
NYU disclosed that approximately 50 individuals participated in the primary encampment outside the business school. It characterized the protest as unauthorized, citing disruption to academic activities.
Law enforcement commenced arrests on Monday evening, although they have not released an official count.
Earlier in the day, nearly 50 protesters were detained at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Officials noted the gathering of hundreds, with many refusing directives to disperse.
On Monday, Dr. Minouche Shafik, the head of Columbia University, urged students to refrain from coming to campus due to instances of "intimidating and harassing conduct". Instead, classes were conducted virtually.
Dr. Shafik remarked that tensions on campus had been "manipulated and magnified by individuals not affiliated with Columbia, who have descended on campus to pursue their own agendas".
Officials at NYU also suggested that demonstrators without ties to the university had appeared.
They documented anti-Semitic episodes on Monday - coinciding with the onset of the Jewish holiday of Passover - making it the latest in a string of institutions to do so.
Recent online videos purportedly depict certain protesters near Columbia expressing solidarity with the unprecedented Hamas assault on Israel.
Congresswoman Kathy Manning, a Democrat, who visited Columbia on Monday, claimed to witness protesters advocating for the destruction of Israel.
The Hasidic organization Chabad at Columbia University stated that Jewish students had been shouted at and subjected to harmful rhetoric. Meanwhile, a university-affiliated rabbi reportedly cautioned Jewish students to steer clear of campus until conditions improved.
Public statements from members of the protest groups have denied charges of anti-Semitism, asserting that their criticisms are directed solely at the Israeli state and its supporters.
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine affirmed their "firm rejection of any form of hate or bigotry" and denounced "inflammatory individuals who do not represent us".
Dr. Shafik disclosed in a statement that a task force had been established at Columbia to "seek a resolution to this crisis".
Dr. Shafik appeared before a congressional committee last week to testify about Columbia's efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
She is under pressure from various quarters, including a potential censure motion from the university senate for the mass arrests on campus that occurred the day after her testimony.
A coalition of federal lawmakers, led by New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, penned a letter calling for her resignation, citing a "failure to quell the mob of students and instigators advocating for acts of terrorism against Jewish students". Democrats have also urged Columbia to ensure the safety and inclusion of Jewish students.
Columbia's own Knight First Amendment Institute criticized the handling of the protests in a statement sent to the BBC on Monday evening, calling for an "immediate course correction" and arguing that external authorities should only intervene when there is a "clear and present danger" to individuals or property.
The attack on southern Israel on October 7 resulted in approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners - predominantly civilians - being killed, with 253 others reportedly held captive in Gaza, according to Israeli reports.
In response, Israel initiated its most extensive military campaign in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of the captives. The conflict has resulted in over 34,000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza, as per the territory's Hamas-led health ministry, with the majority being children and women.
Recent data from a Gallup survey suggests that a majority of Americans now disapprove of Israel's actions in Gaza, marking a shift in public opinion since the beginning of the current conflict.
