Pittsburgh college students explain why they're protesting

Pro-Palestinian protesters occupying Schenley Park clashed with law enforcement Sunday, leading to two arrests for trespassing on University of Pittsburgh property.

Police pushed demonstrators back from the Cathedral of Learning after some of them tried to set up a tent on the lawn of the Cathedral.

One organizer tells KDKA Radio why they’re protesting.

“This camp’s demands are, university should disclose all funding to its students,” said Ilyas Khan and organizer and Carnegie Mellon University student. “It should not be this difficult for the people who are paying these universities to go there to know where the money they’re paying them goes.”

Khan says they have no plans on moving unless chancellor Joan Gabel, local politicians, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey participate in negotiations.

And in Washington, breaking with President Joe Biden's support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas, 12th Congressional District Representative Summer Lee is calling for a cease fire.

Lee recently met some of the Pitt demonstrators and talked about it Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation.

“they’re looking for some sort of acknowledgement from our leadership, that they hear our needs,” said Lee on CBS.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has compared what's happening on America's campuses to antisemitism in German universities in the 1930s under Nazi rule.