Wherever Lev Horowitz went recently with his Jewish group on the Auraria Campus in Denver, pro-Palestinian activists followed, compelling them to constantly move from one spot to another, he said.

That has been the reality for the Jewish group since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the student from University of Colorado Denver told The Denver Gazette.

The latest gathering place Horowitz and his Jewish group abandoned was a spot outside of the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus — a place that, since April 25, pro-Palestinian activists have occupied. The activists have set up more than 50 tents and are demanding what amounts to an economic sanction against Israel.

“It feels very targeted,” Horowitz said. “We've had to move on several occasions to ensure our safety.”

When asked about Horowitz's experience, Harriet Falconetti, a pro-Palestinian activist, insisted that "antisemitism is absolutely not tolerated in this camp.”

Falconnetti, a member Students for a Democratic Society, which is leading the protest, said some Jewish students have joined the pro-Palestinian encampment and support their demands.

Pro-Palestinian activists walked out of classes in Colorado on Wednesday, as protest actions began to spread across universities in the state, albeit more muted than the violent clashes in California and elsewhere in the country. The scenes across Colorado come amid the wave of pro-Palestinian rallies that rocked many college campuses across the United States in the last few weeks and increasing worries by Jewish students for their physical safety.

At the Auraria Campus in Denver, the scene of the first protest action at a university in Colorado following the demonstrations at Columbia University, officials said they are seeking a "peaceful resolution."

On Thursday, officials offered a deal to the activists to take down the encampment in exchange for a $15,000 donation to Gaza. Organizers promptly rejected the offer.

With the protests showing no sign of dissipating, the division between Jewish students and their pro-Palestinian peers appears to be growing.

The protesters, however, insist that Jewish Americans don't hold a monolithic view, pointing to Jewish Voices for Peace as an ally to their cause. The group has been calling for a "permanent ceasefire and an end to Israel’s genocide against Gaza." And in an email, Jonathan Kuhne, one of the protesters arrested last week, said the protests had been "completely peaceful, nothing was being disrupted, no one was being disturbed and there were no safety issues."

Horowitz, the CU Denver student, said he "(finds) it difficult to believe that there are students who are Jewish and align themselves with the pro-Palestinian movement.”

“Not because I am unsympathetic to the Palestinian plight,” he said. “It's difficult to believe that there would be students who are genuinely Jewish, who are genuinely interested in the well being of other Jewish students and are also in the protests.”

Meanwhile, Shira Teed, assistant director at Colorado Hillel, said Jewish students are "anxious, uncomfortable, and aren't feeling great."

An affiliate of Hillel International, Colorado Hillel serves more than 2,000 Jewish students in metro Denver and northern Colorado.

At some places in the country, demonstrations have been marked by violence, forcing colleges to cancel graduation ceremonies or switch to remote learning due to safety concerns.

The chaotic scenes — which unfolded after police officers entered a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night, breaking up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school — prompted President Joe Biden to address the country on Thursday.

Biden said peaceful protests are protected by law, but not violence.

“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law,” the president said. “Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations. None of this is a peaceful protest.”

“As Americans,” Biden said, “we respect the right and protect the right for (protesters) to express that. But it doesn't mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence, without destruction, without hate and within the law.”

A 'peace' offer rejected

Universities in Colorado, so far, have avoided the violent clashes and takeover of buildings.

But it hasn't been spared the disruptions.

On April 26, Denver Community College canceled in-person classes and has since been conducting lessons remotely.

For now, university officials have decided against sending the police back to dismantle the encampment on the Auraria Campus or arrest protesters.

Instead, officials said they are pursuing a peaceful resolution.

On Thursday, campus administrators wrote a letter to the student group organizing the protest in which officials said several donors are prepared to offer a $15,000 donation to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which operates both in Gaza and Tel Aviv, if the activists dismantled their encampment by 5 p.m. The organizers promptly rejected the offer.

The donation would have been made under Students for a Democratic Society's name.

The protesters are demanding that the University of Colorado Denver divest from corporations that operate in Israel. In addition to divestment, they asked for an end to University of Colorado's study abroad programs to Israel and to refuse grants or funding from corporations that contract with the U.S. military.

They demanded that the university "write and publish a statement condemning the genocidal actions of Israel." Finally, the protesters asked to meet with Michelle Marks, chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver, to discuss how to implement their demands.

On Tuesday, Marks reiterated to the students that demands largely "sits outside of her purview, as many fall under the CU Board of Regents and President." The university also said it does not have any study-abroad programs in Israel.

The encampment on the Auraria Campus had sprung up on April 25, was cleared by the police the next day, and came back up over the weekend, following several arrests on Friday.

Auraria Higher Education Center spokesperson Devra Ashby said removing the encampment is the “last resort.”

For now, the administrators said graduation ceremonies are on track.