NEW DELHI: Police detained close to 200 individuals at three US universities on Saturday while dispersing pro-Palestinian encampments, marking the latest campus clashes stemming from protests against Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
In Boston on the East Coast, law enforcement arrested around 100 people while dismantling a protest camp at Northeastern University.Social media posts depicted security forces in riot gear and officers removing tents onto a truck.
Northeastern University stated on the social media platform X that the measures were implemented following reports of certain protesters resorting to “virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews.'”
On the other side of the country, at Arizona State University, law enforcement arrested 69 individuals for trespassing after the group established an “unauthorized encampment” on campus.
According to Arizona State officials, a protest group, “the majority of whom were not ASU students, faculty, or staff,” had erected a camp on Friday and subsequently disregarded multiple directives to disband.
In the US heartland, police at Indiana University detained 23 individuals while dispersing a campus protest camp, as reported by the Indiana Daily Student newspaper.
As per the paper, police equipped with shields, batons, and other riot gear broke through a line of protesters who had formed a human chain, apprehending those who did not comply.
The campus activists are advocating for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, along with urging colleges to sever connections with both the country and businesses they claim benefit from the conflict.
These protests present a significant challenge for university administrators, who are striving to uphold commitments to free expression while addressing concerns that some rallies have included anti-Semitic and hateful rhetoric.
Police have conducted large-scale arrests at universities recently, sometimes resorting to chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protesters.
Northeastern issued a statement on X, announcing that the area on campus where the protests occurred has been “fully secured,” and that “all campus operations have returned to normal.”
The school stated that the decision was prompted by the realization that “what started as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no ties to Northeastern.”
Furthermore, the school clarified that individuals who were detained and able to present a valid school ID have been released and will undergo disciplinary procedures rather than facing legal consequences.
“For those who declined to disclose their affiliation, arrests were made,” the university added.
At the University of Pennsylvania, dozens of students continued to occupy the campus on Saturday, despite the college president’s directive to disband following what he described as “credible reports of harassing and intimidating behavior.”
In contrast, Columbia University in New York, where the protests originated, experienced relative tranquility. Officials at Columbia declared on Friday that they would not be summoning police back to campus following the arrest of over 100 individuals last week.
“To bring back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” school leaders said in a statement, referring to the New York Police Department.
Despite this, Columbia University indicated that it had prohibited Khymani James, a prominent figure in the campus protests, from returning to campus. This action followed James’s statements in a January video where he asserted that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and threatened violence by stating, “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”
“Chants, signs, taunts and social media posts from our own students that mock and threaten to ‘kill’ Jewish people are totally unacceptable, and Columbia students who are involved in such incidents will be held accountable,” the school said.
California’s Humboldt State University closes its campus for the semester due to protester attempts to break into buildings. McGill University sees its first protest camp. In Israel, Hamas militants’ attack results in casualties and hostages taken.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in 34,388 casualties in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
(With inputs from agencies)
In Boston on the East Coast, law enforcement arrested around 100 people while dismantling a protest camp at Northeastern University.Social media posts depicted security forces in riot gear and officers removing tents onto a truck.
Northeastern University stated on the social media platform X that the measures were implemented following reports of certain protesters resorting to “virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews.'”
On the other side of the country, at Arizona State University, law enforcement arrested 69 individuals for trespassing after the group established an “unauthorized encampment” on campus.
According to Arizona State officials, a protest group, “the majority of whom were not ASU students, faculty, or staff,” had erected a camp on Friday and subsequently disregarded multiple directives to disband.
In the US heartland, police at Indiana University detained 23 individuals while dispersing a campus protest camp, as reported by the Indiana Daily Student newspaper.
As per the paper, police equipped with shields, batons, and other riot gear broke through a line of protesters who had formed a human chain, apprehending those who did not comply.
The campus activists are advocating for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, along with urging colleges to sever connections with both the country and businesses they claim benefit from the conflict.
These protests present a significant challenge for university administrators, who are striving to uphold commitments to free expression while addressing concerns that some rallies have included anti-Semitic and hateful rhetoric.
Police have conducted large-scale arrests at universities recently, sometimes resorting to chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protesters.
Northeastern issued a statement on X, announcing that the area on campus where the protests occurred has been “fully secured,” and that “all campus operations have returned to normal.”
The school stated that the decision was prompted by the realization that “what started as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no ties to Northeastern.”
Furthermore, the school clarified that individuals who were detained and able to present a valid school ID have been released and will undergo disciplinary procedures rather than facing legal consequences.
“For those who declined to disclose their affiliation, arrests were made,” the university added.
At the University of Pennsylvania, dozens of students continued to occupy the campus on Saturday, despite the college president’s directive to disband following what he described as “credible reports of harassing and intimidating behavior.”
In contrast, Columbia University in New York, where the protests originated, experienced relative tranquility. Officials at Columbia declared on Friday that they would not be summoning police back to campus following the arrest of over 100 individuals last week.
“To bring back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” school leaders said in a statement, referring to the New York Police Department.
Despite this, Columbia University indicated that it had prohibited Khymani James, a prominent figure in the campus protests, from returning to campus. This action followed James’s statements in a January video where he asserted that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and threatened violence by stating, “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”
“Chants, signs, taunts and social media posts from our own students that mock and threaten to ‘kill’ Jewish people are totally unacceptable, and Columbia students who are involved in such incidents will be held accountable,” the school said.
California’s Humboldt State University closes its campus for the semester due to protester attempts to break into buildings. McGill University sees its first protest camp. In Israel, Hamas militants’ attack results in casualties and hostages taken.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in 34,388 casualties in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
(With inputs from agencies)