Security crackdowns at two elite US universities hours before the Jewish holiday of Passover begins tonight amid tensions between pro-Palestinian groups and their administrations. Police arrested about 45 protesters at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on trespassing charges and released them on the promise to appear in court. Last week, police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University who had set up a tent encampment on the New York City campus. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik wrote in a note to the community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus. “To reduce the potential for further disruption and to give us all a chance to reflect on next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Shafik wrote, adding that faculty and staff should work remotely if possible and that students who do not live on campus should stay away. Shafik said the conflict in the Middle East is heartbreaking and that she understands that many students are in deep emotional pain. “But we cannot allow any one group to dictate the terms of our discourse and attempt to disrupt such an important moment as graduation to make their point,” the president wrote. A task force of deans, faculty and students will work in the coming days to find a resolution to the campus crisis, Shafik wrote, but she did not say when in-person classes would resume. Several Columbia and Barnard College students said they have been suspended for their roles in last week’s protests, including Barnard student Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. At Yale, a large group of protesters reassembled after Monday’s arrests and blocked a street near the campus, but there were no reports of violence. A university spokesperson said that anyone who did not leave the central plaza would be arrested, citing the need “to consider the safety of the entire Yale community and to allow access to university facilities.” “Yale provides extensive guidance on free speech, peaceful assembly, and the process for requesting use of outdoor spaces on campus. Since the beginning of the protest, the university and the Yale Police Department have been working to minimize the likelihood of confrontations and arrests,” the spokesperson added. University President Peter Salovey emailed the Yale community Sunday and warned that disciplinary action would be taken in accordance with the school’s policies. Similar crackdowns have been reported at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University in Rhode Island and New York University. See Also: New York police remove pro-Palestinian encampment at university (Portuguese version)