Here's a rephrased version of the content to make it plagiarism-free and unique:
In Denver, Colorado, around a dozen students were arrested during a police operation to disperse a sit-in at a local college campus. Upon their release, they were met with cheers from fellow pro-Palestinian protesters, some of whom waved yellow court summons like small victory flags, urging others not to lose momentum. The future of these student-led demonstrations, which have emerged in Denver and at numerous universities across the United States, raises important questions for protesters, school administrators, and law enforcement, especially with graduation ceremonies approaching, summer break looming, and high-profile encampments being dismantled.
The student protesters are resolute, vowing to persist until their demands are met. These demands include a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, university divestment from arms suppliers and companies profiting from the conflict, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined or terminated for protesting. However, maintaining the energy of campus protests when most students are away is a challenge, according to academics who study protest movements and civil disobedience.
Dana Fisher, a professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and an expert on activism and grassroots movements, has observed her own students among the protesters on her campus. She noted that the movement spread organically across the country in response to police intervention at Columbia University on April 18, where over 100 people were arrested. Since then, at least 2,600 demonstrators have been detained at more than 100 protests in 39 states and Washington, D.C., according to The Appeal, a nonprofit news organization.
Fisher expressed skepticism about the movement's ability to sustain itself without sufficient organizational infrastructure off-campus. She believes the movement must evolve substantially to continue its momentum. Following the initial arrests at Columbia, students there escalated their protest by occupying a classroom building, leading to more arrests. Similarly, in Denver, police arrested 45 people on April 26 at an encampment protest at the Auraria campus.
Despite challenges, students in Denver believe the movement's expansion from coastal areas to the heartland and smaller universities demonstrates its resilience. The police response to protests has also ignited activism in a new generation of students, according to Fisher, who predicts a "long, hot summer of protest" ahead.
Michael Heaney, a lecturer in politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, noted that the campus demonstrations are just one part of a broader movement supporting Palestinians, which has been ongoing for decades. Heaney sees the geographic spread of the university encampments as an opportunity to expand the movement's reach.
Heaney emphasized that protests are episodic and pointed to the history of the African-American Civil Rights movement in the U.S. as an example of enduring activism. He believes that pro-Palestinian protests in American cities could grow this summer, fueled by the widespread university activism.
Despite uncertainties, student protesters on Denver's Auraria campus remain committed, with approximately 75 tents still standing on a grassy quad. Protesters continue to serve meals daily in a mess hall tent, demonstrating their resolve to stay put.
"After graduation, this campus may be deserted, but we'll still be here," said Jacob, a 22-year-old student protest organizer. "We're not going anywhere."