Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across US, some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in on Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, as faculty at several schools condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.

As Columbia University continues negotiations with those at a pro-Palestinian student encampment on the New York school’s campus, the university’s senate passed a resolution on Friday that created a task force to examine the administration’s leadership, which last week called in police in an attempt to clear the protest, resulting in scuffles and more than 100 arrests.

Though the university has repeatedly set and then pushed back deadlines for the removal of the encampment, the school sent an email to students Friday night saying that bringing back the police “at this time” would be counterproductive.

As the death toll mounts in the war in Gaza, protesters across US are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus. Early on Saturday, police began clearing a protest on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston.

The school said that the demonstration, which began two days ago, had become “infiltrated by professional organisers” with no affiliation to the school.

The school said in a statement that antisemitic slurs, including “Kill the Jews”, were used.

“We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus,” said the statement, which was posted on the social media platform X.

The decisions to call in law enforcement, leading to hundreds of arrests nationwide, have prompted school faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas to initiate or pass votes of no confidence in their leadership.

They are largely symbolic rebukes, without the power to remove their presidents.

But the tensions pile pressure on school officials, who are already scrambling to resolve the protests as May graduation ceremonies near.

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, gave protestors who have barricaded themselves inside a building since Monday until 5pm (local time) on Friday to leave and “not be immediately arrested”.