Hello, im Matthew Amroliwala , welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories, and checking out the truth behind them. We begin in the us and the Student Protests sweeping the country against the war in gaza. Overnight, these were the scenes on campuses on the west coast and east coast. Clashes between Rival Student Groups and clashes with police who were called to both the University Of California in los angeles, and Columbia University in new york. At ucla, there were skirmishes between pro israeli and pro Palestinian Protesters, with the Vice Chancellor Calling in police after what she described as horrific acts of violence. Scenes like this went on for hours with pepper spray being used. At Columbia University, where the protests started, police moved in, to disperse students from the encampment that had built up over weeks. Officers dressed in riot gear also cleared students from Hamilton Hall, which had been taken over yesterday. The demonstrators have demanded that the University Cut Ties with israel. They were really dramatic scenes at both those universities overnight, werent they . Both those universities overnight, werent they . Tensions have been bubbfinu werent they . Tensions have been bubbling for werent they . Tensions have been bubbling for some werent they . Tensions have been bubbling for some time werent they . Tensions have been bubbling for some time on werent they . Tensions have been i bubbling for some time on university campuses. Even before october the 7th. Pro Palestinian Protesters universities decided that they were going to crackdown on protesters and they called in the police to do that on both sides of the country. As the darkness came, so did the violence. The tension between the pro Palestinian Protesters encamped at ucla and the pro israel demonstrators boiled over. Screams ring out as fireworks are let off in the dense encampment. Pieces of plywood turned into weapons. Thankfully i am physically safe. A lot of my peers are not physically safe. Its not clear yet what sparked the fighting. The Los Angeles Police were called to the scene at the request of the university. The Vice Chancellor has condemned the events as a horrific act of violence. On the other side of the country, at Columbia University in new york, where the protests originally started, police entered the campus. It comes nearly two weeks since they last went in, sparking huge controversy. And a day after some demonstrators seized a building inside campus, breaking the windows and barricading themselves in. For the university it was a red line. Dozens have been arrested in this new police raid. Dozens of riot police are behind us here. We are at Columbia University, the actual entrance to the campus is just to my left. You cannot get anywhere near it. The police have blocked it off entirely. Just earlier we saw some students being arrested. They had their hands behind her back, with white zip ties, being loaded onto buses and further to the right to have more student protesters, more pro Palestinian Protesters on the other side of the barricade shouting, shame, shame, shame at the police. University are set a deadline of monday to clear the encampment. Students who did not agree are now being suspended. Dozens have been arrested in this new police raid. Protesters told us they were hopeful talks could still continue with the university. Their demands included cutting off economic and academic ties with israeli institutions. But given this latest police action, hope for reconciliation seems even further away. Nomia iqbal, bbc news, new york. This morning we had been getting more of an update. The Crop Pest Conference has taken place with the police. The details of last nights were talked about. They said that this was not about cracking down on free speech. Have a listen. Free speech is a cornerstone of our society. We know that there werent those who were never concerned about free speech. They are concerned about chaos. It is about external activities hijacking peaceful protests. There is nothing peaceful about barricading buildings, destroying property or dismantling security cameras. figs destroying property or dismantling security cameras. Security cameras. As well as hundreds security cameras. As well as hundreds of security cameras. As well as hundreds of that security cameras. As well as hundreds of that been security cameras. As well as hundreds of that been arrested, more than a hundred students have been suspended as well. Many of them are angry as are some of the professors over what they describe as a heavy handed response by the universities. The president of the university, called in the police to because this is private property. The president has asked for the police remain on campus until the 17th. We will get more from Columbia University and a moment or two. Lets speak to james gelvin, professor of middle east history at ucla. He was at the encampment yesterday. What is the last 2a hours be like . It has been chaos on campus. There has been it has been chaos on campus. There has been a it has been chaos on campus. There has been a peaceful protest on campus has been a peaceful protest on campus since thursday. Last night, there campus since thursday. Last night, there were campus since thursday. Last night, there were several provocations. Things there were several provocations. Things came to a head last night. I hate to things came to a head last night. I hate to use things came to a head last night. I hate to use the cliche, outside agitators, hate to use the cliche, outside agitators, but they were ad outside agitators agitators, but they were ad outside agitators on the campus. A large number agitators on the campus. A large number of agitators on the campus. A large number of them from the Israeli American counsel. They it has been an inconvenience at worst. And myself. Areas were barricaded off of the campus. Areas were blocked to students and non students. Mainly a peaceful protest but things came to a head three nights in a row. Unfortunately, the two sides could not be separated. It was not the two side that had to be separated. The assault on the income and had to be ended. ,. , ,. ,. , ended. Give me a sense of what it has been like. Ended. Give me a sense of what it has been like. It ended. Give me a sense of what it has been like. It has ended. Give me a sense of what it has been like. It has been ended. Give me a sense of what it has been like. It has been a has been like. It has been a difficult balance for the authorities. You had manyjewish students talking about feeling unsafe on campus. You had to be pro palestinian demonstrators trying to make their point in the most powerful way possible. Give me a sense of what it has been like trying to navigate your way through that. For trying to navigate your way through that. ,. ,. , trying to navigate your way through that. ,. , ~ ,. , that. For someone like myself who teaches about that. For someone like myself who teaches about conflict. That. For someone like myself who teaches about conflict. This teaches about conflict. This situation is more polarised now than it ever has been in my experience. It has to do with the fact that. On the one hand, you have the pro israeli students, who are trying to say that people who are protesting in favour of palestine are pro hamas which they certainly arent. On the other hand, you have the rhetoric on the palestinian side, the pro palestinian side also being escalated at the same time. It is a very divisive situation on campus. It has been taken advantage of by people from off campus as well to make a Political Point and to score Political Point and to score Political Points. Abs, Political Point and to score Political Points. Political point and to score Political Points. A final quick thou~ht, Political Points. A final quick thought. Can Political Points. A final quick thought, can you Political Points. A final quick thought, can you see Political Points. A final quick thought, can you see these | Political Points. A final quick thought, can you see these protests actually bringing about any kind of fundamental change at the universities or broader change because much of it is also aimed at the us government. Trio. Because much of it is also aimed at the us government. Because much of it is also aimed at the us government. No, there is no wa that the us government. No, there is no way that this the us government. No, there is no way that this is the us government. No, there is no way that this is going the us government. No, there is no way that this is going to the us government. No, there is no way that this is going to bring way that this is going to bring about any change whatsoever. If the students are interested in change, they will get off campus and they would talk to their local Democratic Party machine, womens groups and trade union groups and so on and so forth, they can put political pressure on local and state and federal authorities. That is the way things are going to happen is. What happens on campus stays on campus. Thank you Forjoining Us. Lets cross to Columbia University. We can now speak to richard hall, the senior us correspondent at the independent. He was at university and saw some of those scenes overnight. What was it like . ,. ,. ,. , like . The nypd had shut down several ci blocks like . The nypd had shut down several city blocks and like . The nypd had shut down several city blocks and swarmed like . The nypd had shut down several city blocks and swarmed the like . The nypd had shut down several city blocks and swarmed the area city blocks and swarmed the area with hundreds of vehicles, police with hundreds of vehicles, police with zip ties, they used machinery to enter the floor of Hamilton Hall that the students were occupying. It felt like a war zone and you could see the reaction from students, they felt as though they were in a different country. I felt as though they were in a different country. Felt as though they were in a different country. I was reading an article that different country. I was reading an article that he different country. I was reading an article that he wrote different country. I was reading an article that he wrote over different country. I was reading an article that he wrote over the different country. I was reading an article that he wrote over the last | article that he wrote over the last 24 article that he wrote over the last 2a hours. You spoke to many students taking part you wrote about the echoes of the what is your take on the impact of what we are seeing . It is what we are seeing . It is interesting what we are seeing . It is interesting in what we are seeing . It is interesting in this what we are seeing . It 3 interesting in this Election Year in the us, obviously everyone is thinking about how this will affect that, but obviously i think biden needs people to vote for him, for many years, but i think he is going to have a hard time convincing people he has the right person to run the country when they see images like this, of heavily riot geared police going into campuses and washing protests. Politically i dont think it will have a huge impact on the national or political scene, but it will do or might do is teach these kids a lesson in censorship and the limits to what they can say without being targeted by police. Abs. They can say without being targeted b olice. �. ,. , they can say without being targeted b olice. ,. , , by police. A final thought because i think the police by police. A final thought because i think the police have by police. A final thought because i think the police have been by police. A final thought because i think the police have been invited i think the police have been invited where you are to be actually on campus for a couple of weeks to get to graduation day. Do you see this lasting through a summer of protests . We got the Democratic National convention coming up in chicago. Do you think this potentially can last all the way to chicago . Potentially can last all the way to chicano . ~ , , potentially can last all the way to chicao . , , , chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the echoes chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the echoes of chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the echoes of 1968 chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the echoes of 1968 to chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is where the echoes of 1968 to get| chicago . Absolutely, yes. This is| where the echoes of 1968 to get a bit creepy because it yesterday was on the exact same day that the 1968 protests were raided by police, the exact same day, april to 30th. And in the summer of 1968, these protests led up to a huge violent protests led up to a huge violent protest at the Democratic National convention, which caused a huge embarrassment for the democrats had led to the election of richard nixon, so yes, i do see this continuing. Students are getting off for summer now, they have lots more time on their hands and i dont think they will be going home anytime soon. Think they will be going home an ime soon. ,. ,. , anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks ve much anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks very much for anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks very much for bringing anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks very much for bringing us anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks very much for bringing us the anytime soon. Richard hall, thanks| very much for bringing us the latest fare from new york. Plenty more from the campuses here in a moment or two. You are watching bbc news. You are live with bbc news. Lets return to the middle east because americas top to diplomat Antony Blinken has met with Israels Benjamin Netanyahu and other leading figures ofjerusalem. This On The Last Day of his middle east tour. Discussions included getting more aid into gaza and the Ceasefire Proposals which hamas has yet to respond to. Antony blinken says he is determined to get a deal to secure the release of hostages and the only obstacle to that is hamas. Lets go live now to our security correspondent, frank gardner, who is there injerusalem. Frank, are you getting any indication where you are ofjust how getting any indication where you are of just how close getting any indication where you are ofjust how close they may be to any sort of new deal. We are closer than we have been before. The fate of the hostages and the whole deal hangs in the balance. Antony blinken while he has been has made no of his belief that people is in hamass court. He said israel has made an extraordinary degeneracy offer, in his words and now it is up to hamas to accept it. If the deal. , it is on hamas. They have hamas has that they have not finished studying the deal and they will respond. The Sticking Point is that hamas want a deal that is an end, a full ceasefire, an end to hostilities in gaza. Israel, orat least the Israeli Government of benjamin netanyahu, is not ready to do that. They consider they have got Unfinished Business in rafah. If you remember yesterday, Unfinished Business in rafah. If you rememberyesterday, he Unfinished Business in rafah. If you remember yesterday, he was saying that israel is going to go into rafah at some stage with or without a Ceasefire Deal and they believe that that is where the last battalions of hamas had hiding out, below ground probably and they want to go to flush them out and finish it. There is still a bit of a gap between the two sides. But we are closer than we have been before than we have been to a deal. The pressure on mr netanyahu is ramping up pressure on mr netanyahu is ramping up from the Hostage Families whom Antony Blinken has met and they have been welcoming his visit because they think that he is possibly more interested in making certainly more noises about getting the hostages out than mr netanyahu. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken out than mr netanyahu. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken has out than mr netanyahu. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken has repeated out than mr netanyahu. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken has repeated the Antony Blinken has repeated the message of getting more aid into gaza. I have lost count of the amount of trips that he has made to the region. I have also lost count of the amount of times he has asked israel for exactly that. There is clear frustration that that message, action has not followed through on the key demand. Action has not followed through on the key demand. Well, the answer is, this is his seventh the key demand. Well, the answer is, this is his seventh trip the key demand. Well, the answer is, this is his seventh trip to the key demand. Well, the answ