Tensions mount as police repress pro-Palestine protests at US colleges
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Pro-Palestinian protests and subsequent arrests swept through multiple prestigious universities across the United States.
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Students arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at NYU on Monday were taken away on a New York Police Department bus. (X)
A pro-Palestinian demonstration at New York University led to several individuals being detained on Monday evening, according to the NYPD.
This recent event adds to a series of universities cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests demanding an immediate ceasefire and condemning the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which has entered its 200th day today. Protesters also called for their universities to divest from companies linked to "Israel".
Columbia University suspends in-person classes amid protest suppression
Earlier on the same day, police arrested dozens of individuals at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on Monday morning, following the arrest of over 100 protesters at Columbia University in New York City last week. These arrests sparked a surge of activism on other campuses such as MIT, the University of Michigan, and Stanford University.
Concurrently, Columbia University, which has been a focal point for pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses lately, suspended in-person classes amid increased suppression of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Massive crowd of faculty walked out in solidarity with students and with the Palestinian youth movement for Palestine at Columbia University. #GazaGenocide #ColumbiaUniversity pic.twitter.com/1sCIBMZrjl
— Andreas 🇵🇸 (@AndreasKep) April 23, 2024
Furthermore, pro-Palestine encampments have sprung up at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emerson College, and Tufts University following the arrest of over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia last week.
As Columbia students transitioned to virtual learning, numerous protesters gathered on the university's West Lawn on Monday morning, opposite the location where the original encampment was situated.
Several tents were set up, and tables were stocked with clothing and food supplies. Signs around the perimeter featured messages such as: "End the siege on Gaza now" and: "Welcome to the People's University of Palestine."
Access to the encampment is limited to individuals affiliated with the campus.
Various activities are taking place within the encampment, including teach-ins, dances, poetry readings, and film screenings. Some students were seen quietly completing assignments, while others painted posters.
NEW: Pro-Palestine activists perform powerful musicless dance routine at Columbia University to protest against Israel.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 22, 2024
Very moving.
Students are setting up their own tent city at the 'Gaza Plaza' on Columbia's campus and even have their own makeshift buffet.
Faculty is also… pic.twitter.com/JxBAvRXOhJ
Additional faculty members at Columbia delivered brief speeches on campus on Monday, expressing solidarity with the ongoing protests and condemning the police violations that occurred during last week's crackdown.
Faculty members displayed signs with messages such as: "Hands off our students" and: "End student suspensions now." Some faculty members wore their academic regalia and adorned sashes bearing the message: "We support students."
NYU authorizes NYPD to arrest Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including faculty staff
A spokesperson from the New York City Police Department, as quoted by Axios, stated that they were unable to provide immediate details on the number of arrests or summonses issued due to the "ongoing situation" concerning pro-Palestinian protests held by New York University students.
NYU spokesperson John Beckman claimed in a post on social media that there were reports of "antisemitism" during the protest.
According to an NYPD spokesperson speaking to CNN, faculty members were among those arrested.
Dystopian images and sounds from our comrades at NYU, where their Gaza Solidarity encampment has just been stormed by the NYPD. It is estimated that over a 100 have been arrested, including students & faculty. Police buses are currently being prevented from leaving. pic.twitter.com/6fZhwZ0or4
— National Students for Justice in Palestine (@NationalSJP) April 23, 2024
The NYU Faculty for Justice in Palestine, a chapter of the national network formed in October, expressed in a statement posted online that NYU had authorized the NYPD to arrest students, faculty, staff, and anyone showing solidarity with Palestine.
NYU has authorized NYPD to arrest its own students, faculty, staff and anyone who dares to stand in solidarity with Palestine. You can arrest us, but you can’t get us to relinquish sumud. We’ll see you at 1PP and be right back on you to meet our demands!
— NYU Faculty for Justice in Palestine (@NYUFJPalestine) April 23, 2024
Earlier, the school communicated via social media that protesters were required to vacate the plaza by 4 pm. They emphasized that leaving promptly would result in no repercussions for the day's actions, including no disciplinary measures or police involvement.
In a related development, the Director of Al Mayadeen's office in Washington affirmed that an intensive media campaign is ongoing, aiming to associate the university solidarity movement with Palestine in the United States with "antisemitism".
BREAKING NOW: Pro Palestine New York University Encampments Raided By Police
— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) April 23, 2024
Mass Arrests Underway With Tents Being Forcibly Removed pic.twitter.com/sX9ocicZgr
The students of the University of California, Berkeley, join their brothers and sisters in #ColumbiaUniversity in standing against the #Genocide in #Gaza.
— Fadi Al-Qadi (@fqadi) April 22, 2024
Students' movement = Free souls. pic.twitter.com/C8M1hREYE1
In summary, US universities, instead of upholding their students' rights to peaceful protest and fostering an environment conducive to First Amendment-protected discourse, succumbed to pressure from affluent donors and congressional members. They opted for cracking down on student demonstrators.
