Ohio State warns students not to incite violence at campus protests over Israel-Hamas war

Ohio State University on Saturday warned students protesting the war in Gaza that it will not allow demonstrations to escalate into violence on campus.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the university stated that hate speech —including comments made at campus demonstrations last week against the war in Gaza— is "deplorable and does not align with our values, even if allowed under the First Amendment."

The university's statement went on to say that "when protected speech becomes incitement or threats of violence," Ohio State President Ted Carter and university leaders have made it clear they "will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy." Ohio State police and trained staff are also onsite for demonstrations on campus, the university said in the statement on X.

Read More: Locals protest what's happening in Palestine, say Columbus residents can make difference

It's unclear exactly what was said at recent protests that prompted the university's response. But, spokesman Ben Johnson did confirm to The Dispatch the university made the statement following protests on campus over the war in Gaza.

Ohio State's statement comes just days after more than 100 people were arrested for protesting Israel's war in Gaza at Columbia University in New York City,

Students were forcibly removed from tents at the center of campus by police and charged with trespassing, reported USA Today. The students were part of student groups protesting the university's financial investment in "corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine," the group told USA Today.

This isn't the first time colleges and universities have been in the spotlight in relation to the conflict, as Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned in January after her response to antisemitism on campus was criticized and she faced accusations of plagiarism.

Antisemitism at an all-time high

The protests against Israel's war in Gaza come as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) warned that antisemitic incidents have reached a new record high in the United States.

Incidents topped 8,800 in 2023 across the U.S. That's an average of one every hour each day, according to the ADL.

The 8,873 incidents recorded last year was a 140% increase from 2022, with 321% more incidents on college campuses in 2023 than in the prior year, according to the ADL.

The majority of those incidents, over 5,200, happened from Oct. 7 to Dec. 31, 2023.

On Oct. 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrated southern Israel in a surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday. The attack included dozens of gunmen and thousands of rockets launched into Israel, leaving more than 1,000 killed, hundreds wounded and several taken hostage, USA Today reported.

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@DanaeKing

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State warns students about hate speech, protests over Gaza war