The presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers universities in the United States defended their decisions to end pro-Palestinian encampments through negotiations rather than police force, telling a US House committee on Thursday that they defused the danger without ceding ground to protesters.

“We had to get the encampment down,” Northwestern's Michael Schill said. “The police solution was not going to be available to us to keep people safe, and also may not be the wisest solution as we’ve seen at other campuses across the country.”

Schill and Jonathan Holloway of Rutgers were called before the House Education and the Workforce Committee as part of a series of hearings examining how colleges have responded to allegations of antisemitism.

Also testifying was Gene Block, chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles, which has come under scrutiny for a delayed police response to violence between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-protesters.

The committee’s inquiry expanded to large, public universities, UCLA and Rutgers, after earlier hearings largely focused on private, Ivy League colleges.

In Philadelphia, protesters packed up their belongings and left a pro-Palestinian encampment at Drexel University after the school announced a decision to have police clear the encampment.

University President John Fry said in a statement that he decided to have campus police and public safety officers join Philadelphia police in clearing the encampment as peacefully as possible.

News outlets reported that police gave protesters a warning to clear the encampment and the protesters left.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students in graduation robes walked out of the Harvard University commencement chanting “Free, free Palestine” after weeks of protests on campus and a day after the school announced that 13 students who participated in a protest encampment would not be able to receive diplomas alongside their classmates.

Some students chanted “Let them walk, let them walk” during Thursday’s commencement, referring to allowing those 13 students to get their diplomas along with fellow graduates. (AP)