On May 17, 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to take over the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, confronting its director, former Senator Heidi Heitkamp. The demonstrators forced entry into Heitkamp’s office, demanding she leave, but she refused and attempted to engage in dialogue until campus police intervened. The protesters cited the university’s ties to Israel as their motive. Subsequently, they fled through windows when the police arrived.

Simultaneously, at the University of Pennsylvania, protesters attempted to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall. Their action followed a police-cleared encampment on College Green earlier in May, which led to multiple arrests. Protesters named the occupied hall after Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer and demanded the university disclose investments and divest from Israel. Police again intervened, leading to arrests and dispersing the protesters.

In Los Angeles, the UCLA Academic Senate narrowly voted against rebuking Chancellor Gene Block following an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment. Block was criticized for the lack of police intervention during the attack and for the subsequent dismantling of the encampment by riot police. Despite the no-confidence motion failing, the incident remains contentious among faculty.

These events are part of broader campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, occurring in various universities across the United States.