US campus protests wane after crackdowns, Biden rebuke

Pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked US campuses for weeks were more muted on May 3, after a series of clashes with the police, mass arrests and a stern White House directive to restore order.

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The police in Manhattan cleared an encampment at New York University after sunrise, with video footage posted on social media by an official showing protesters exiting their tents and dispersing when ordered by loudspeaker.

The scene appeared relatively calm compared with crackdowns at other campuses around the country and some worldwide where protests against Israel's war in Gaza have multiplied in recent weeks.

University administrators, who have tried to balance the right to protest and complaints of violence and hate speech, have increasingly called on the police to clear out the protesters ahead of year-end exams and graduation ceremonies and some clashes with counterprotesters.

At the University of Chicago, law enforcement appeared set to dismantle an encampment on May 3 after the school's president said talks with protesters on a compromise had failed.

Before the clearing operation began, dozens of American flag wielding counter-protesters showed up and confronted the pro Palestinian group, but the police separated the two sides, US media reported.