Indiana police continue to make arrests at campuses as students protest Gaza conflict

Students on college campuses across the country continue to hold demonstrations this week, many calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as severing financial ties with Israel.

Police crackdowns, meanwhile, have triggered sharp criticism as authorities arrest pro-Palestinian demonstrators and dismantle protests camps.

By Thursday in Bloomington, a week after 33 people were detained during a demonstration in Dunn Meadow, city and county officials blasted both Indiana University administrators and Indiana State Police for their response to protests against the Israel-Hamas war, which included posting officers with sniper capabilities on nearby rooftops.

State police have since arrested upwards of 50 people in Bloomington, with ISP Superintendent Doug Carter defending the decisions of police, saying authorities "worked tirelessly to de-escalate" the situation.

In South Bend on Thursday, Notre Dame police arrested 17 people, aged 19 to 33 years, related to a pro-Palestinian protests staged by students on the university's campus. Videos shared with the South Bend Tribune's reporting partner, WNDU, showed officers carrying people away Thursday night from Notre Dame's campus.

At Purdue, pro-Palestinian students have said they plan to continue demonstrations until Purdue's commencement from May 10 through May 12. Former Purdue University president Mitch Daniels, in a recent interview with Fox News, emphasized the need for action by prosecutors, urging officials to "send the right message" to students.

From Evansville: USI rally against war in Gaza remains peaceful as unrest hits other campuses in Indiana

Here's a further look at what's been happening from IndyStar's partners in the USA Today Network.

ISP chief pushes back against criticism police response on IU campus was 'heavy-handed'

Following criticism from local government officials about the police response to protests on the Indiana University campus, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter answered several questions posed by The Herald-Times about de-escalation, rooftop snipers and hate speech.

On the heel of criticism from local government agencies, Carter gave this response:

"First of all, the vast majority of the people that are signing these documents weren't there. So it's easy to criticize something that you don't understand.

"And quite frankly, considering the violence or the homelessness, and the encampments within the city of Bloomington, you’d think there’d be better communication between the city of Bloomington and IU. But what I found is there's a significant divide and I'm not sure what reasonable person could have been there on Thursday or Saturday and watch what's happening at campuses around this country and not be disgusted."

▶ Read the full story from The Herald-Times.

Notre Dame police arrest 17 on Thursday in relation to pro-Palestinian protests sweeping U.S.

▶ Read the full story from The South Bend Tribune.

Notre Dame police made 17 arrests Thursday night related to a pro-Palestinian protest staged by students on the university's campus.

Of those arrested, three remained in jail for allegedly resisting law enforcement and for criminal trespassing after they allegedly refused to leave private property — Notre Dame is a private university — once police ordered them to move. They await hearings Friday.

Mitch Daniels discusses with Fox News how to handle pro-Palestine protestors

▶ Read the full story from the Lafayette Journal & Courier.

As arrests of pro-Palestine protesters increased across the country, Fox News invited Mitch Daniels, former Purdue University president and former Indiana governor, to speak about possible strategies for how to handle protesting students.

“You need prosecutors who will actually act. It doesn’t take too many to send the right message,” Daniels said, who led the university from 2013 through 2022 and currently is the chairman of the board for the Purdue Research Foundation, emphasizing the need for action.

Live updates: Police break up encampments at Columbia University, NYU, The New School; other protests continue

▶ Read the full story from USA TODAY.

Herald-Times' Boris Ladwig; South Bend Tribune's Camille Sarabia and Jordan Smith; and Journal & Courier's Noe Padilla contributed to this report.

John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gaza protests at Indiana university, colleges: Arrests continue