NEWS
U.S not taking pro-Palestine protests too well
‘Kill the Jews’ — U.S defends the clampdown on pro-Palestine protests in the country.
Protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from companies supporting Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Palestinian enclave have led to hundreds of student arrests across various universities in the United States.
On Saturday, police presence intensified on college campuses as demonstrators continued to voice their opposition to the prolonged bombing of the Gaza Strip and called for an end to US military aid to Israel.
In Boston, approximately 100 individuals were detained by police during the clearance of a protest camp at Northeastern University. Social media posts depicted law enforcement in riot gear dismantling tents and loading them onto trucks.
In response to the protests, Northeastern University issued a statement declaring the campus area where demonstrations occurred as “fully secured,” with operations returning to normalcy.
The university attributed the crackdown on protesters to the infiltration of professional organizers unrelated to the university and claimed that individuals arrested with valid school identification would face disciplinary proceedings, not legal action.
Allegations of inflammatory rhetoric, including chants of “Kill the Jews,” were cited by Northeastern as justification for the security forces’ actions.
— Northeastern U. (@Northeastern) April 27, 2024
However, members of the pro-Palestinian protest movement at Northeastern disputed these claims, asserting that individuals holding Israeli flags were responsible for using the derogatory slur in an attempt to provoke pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Elsewhere, the Indiana University Police Department arrested 23 individuals in Bloomington as they dispersed a campus protest camp, while the Arizona State University Police Department detained 69 people for trespassing after the group established an “unauthorized encampment” on campus.
At Washington University in St. Louis, over 80 individuals, including US presidential candidate Jill Stein and her campaign manager, were arrested during protests.
Throughout the US, university administrations have struggled to contain the demonstrations, often resulting in police intervention and numerous arrests, including students and faculty members. The protesters have called for amnesty for those disciplined or terminated for participating in protests.
The wave of protests, stemming from Columbia University in New York, has ignited a nationwide debate on pro-Palestine activism and freedom of speech on college campuses.
In the past week, hundreds of students have faced disciplinary actions, including arrest, suspension, probation, and expulsion, at universities such as Yale, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt, and the University of Minnesota.
Some universities have had to cancel graduation ceremonies, while others have witnessed building occupations by protesters.
VIDEO: Outside provocateurs holding Israeli flags chanted "Kill the Jews!" Pro-Palestine Northeastern students at the encampment sought to de-escalate. Northeastern admin need to apologize for false claims – news outlets need to issue corrections. pic.twitter.com/NBIxrrhFfN
— Working Mass (@DSAWorkingMass) April 27, 2024
