Georgia State Patrol troopers detained a demonstrator Thursday on the Emory University campus in Atlanta during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Mike Stewart/Associated Press
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Mike Stewart/Associated Press
Georgia State Patrol troopers detained a demonstrator Thursday on the Emory University campus in Atlanta during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Mike Stewart/Associated Press
Mass arrests, riots and chaos have spilled over onto American college campuses as authorities crack down on a growing number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Students from Emory University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, George Washington University, Princeton University and the City University of New York set up a solidarity camp Thursday morning, adding to a growing list of prestigious universities.
Students are calling for an end to both the Israel-Hamas war and the university’s investments in companies profiting from it or, more broadly, doing business with Israel.
Dozens of protesters have been arrested since Wednesday night at the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, Emerson College and elsewhere.
More arrests occurred Thursday morning at Emory University and Princeton University, while some charges against detainees were dismissed elsewhere.
Travis County, Texas, Attorney Delia Garza told member station KUT that charges against 46 protesters arrested at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday have been dismissed and that her office will review more cases. He said he was doing it.
“Legal concerns were raised by defense counsel, and we reviewed each case individually and agreed that the probable cause affidavits were deficient,” she said.
Other developments as of Thursday include:
University of Southern California’s major graduation ceremony canceled
Protesters at the University of Southern California were seen shoving and shoving university police officers during a pro-Palestinian occupation on the Los Angeles campus that turned violent on Wednesday.
Richard Vogel/AP
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Richard Vogel/AP
Protesters at the University of Southern California were seen shoving and shoving university police officers during a pro-Palestinian occupation on the Los Angeles campus that turned violent on Wednesday.
Richard Vogel/AP
The University of Southern California announced Thursday that it is canceling its main stage graduation ceremony.
Other graduation activities, such as graduation ceremonies at each school, will also continue.
“While we understand this is disappointing, we have many new activities and celebrations to make this graduation ceremony academically meaningful, memorable, and unique to the University of Southern California,” the university said in a statement. We are adding more events.”
Thursday’s announcement came after dozens of arrests were made Wednesday night.
Police showed up around 4 p.m. Pacific time and by 10 p.m. had arrested 93 people on misdemeanor trespassing charges, Los Angeles police said. One person was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, but police have not disclosed the type of weapon. No injuries were reported.
The protests followed the school’s decision last week to cancel the graduation speech of valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who posted pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel content on social media. USC said it canceled the speech for safety reasons.
Authorities arrest activists gathering at Emory University
Dozens of protesters were detained at a campsite just hours after it was set up on Emory University’s Atlanta campus, the school said in a statement.
Activists are demanding the divestment of not only Israel and the nickname “Cop City” given to the controversial police and fire training center being built in a nearby forest, member station WABE reports. I set up a camp to do that.
Two protesters detailed the coalition’s motivations in an op-ed published Thursday on the Middle East news site Mondo Weiss, writing, “We are students from multiple Atlanta universities, and we are students from all of Atlanta’s universities. I am a member of the community demanding that the property be sold.” Social media posts suggest that activists explicitly encouraged “non-student” participation.
The Stop Cop City activist movement’s account posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Emory officials had issued a “final warning” to protesters within two hours of setting up the encampment on Thursday morning.
A university spokesperson told NPR that “dozens of protesters illegally entered campus” and set up tents on the quad, calling them “not members of our community” and “students attending class.” “Activists trying to sabotage the university while it is finishing and preparing.” For the finals. ”
A statement from the Atlanta Police Department said the officers were “encountered by violence” while providing security on campus.
Social media posts and local media reports, including the Emory Wheel, showed law enforcement officers using handcuffs, Tasers, tear gas and pepper balls on people in the crowd. Police confirmed the use of chemical irritants, but said no rubber bullets were used.
Witnesses reported seeing people being detained and loaded into police vans.
Protesters arrested at Princeton sit-in
Nearly 100 Princeton undergraduate and graduate students took part in a sit-in in a campus courtyard Thursday morning, some setting up tents despite the university’s warnings.
The demonstrators reportedly called on the university to divest from companies that profit from or are involved in Israeli war activities and to refrain from working with Israeli academic institutions and businesses. . daily princetonian.
Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber warned in an op-ed that the school’s free expression policy includes a “clear and unequivocal prohibition on encampments.”
And Rochelle Calhoun, vice president for campus life, said in an email to undergraduate students Wednesday that “students who participate in camping, occupation, or other illegal acts of vandalism do not desist after being warned. be arrested and immediately banned from campus.”
A spokesperson for Princeton University told NPR that a “small number” of participants had begun erecting “approximately six tents.”
“Two graduate students were arrested for trespassing after receiving repeated warnings from the Ministry of Public Security to cease their activities and leave the area,” the spokesperson said, adding that the students remained on campus pending disciplinary proceedings. He added that he was locked out of the
The protesters voluntarily removed the remaining tents, the spokesperson added.
Boston police destroy encampment at Emerson College
Boston police moved to arrest pro-Palestinian supporters blocking roads early Thursday after clearing an encampment at Emerson College.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
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Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Boston police moved to arrest pro-Palestinian supporters blocking roads early Thursday after clearing an encampment at Emerson College.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Boston police broke down a pro-Palestinian camp at Emerson College in the early morning hours, clashing with demonstrators and ultimately arresting more than 100 people.
Emerson College students have been camping at Boston’s Boylston Place Alley since Sunday night.
President Jay Barnhart said earlier this week that the alley is not solely owned by the university and that “there are public right-of-way requirements and regulatory requirements for access to non-Emerson buildings, including the State Transportation Center.” “This is a fire protection alley in the area.” It is under the jurisdiction of the Boston Police Department. ”
Emerson College sophomore Kyle Graf explained the arrest to NBC Boston.
“A big van came in and parked right in front of this alley, and the cops came and started arresting the students, forcing them into the encampment and stuff and forcing them to the ground,” Graf said. “I saw one student being pushed to the sidewalk and his hands put behind his back.”
NBC Boston reported that police cleared the alley within 30 minutes.
Boston Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. John Boyle told local media that 108 people were arrested and will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court. He said four police officers were injured, one seriously.
Similar camps have been set up at several other schools in the Boston area, including MIT and Tufts. Harvard University students set up tents Wednesday in Harvard Yards, which is temporarily closed to the public.
Texas state troopers respond to protests in riot gear
Texas state troopers on horseback attempt to disperse pro-Palestinian students protesting the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
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Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Texas state troopers on horseback attempt to disperse pro-Palestinian students protesting the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Hundreds of people protested at the University of Texas at Austin in support of the Palestinians. According to NPR member station KUT, university officials and Texas State Police responded to the scene in riot gear and arrested dozens of students who did not leave.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “These protesters should be in prison. Anti-Semitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Of course.” Posted in X. “Students who participate in hateful, anti-Semitic protests at Texas public universities should be expelled.”
UT Austin President Jay Hartzl praised the school and law enforcement for showing “unusual restraint” and said the protest organizers intended to violate school policy.
“The group leading this protest said they intended to violate institutional rules,” Hartzell said. “Our rules are important and will be enforced.”
Pro-Palestinian protests spread across the country
Students from Cornell University and George Washington University set up a solidarity camp Thursday morning.
Columbia University has twice extended the deadline for students to vacate encampments on campus, originally at midnight Tuesday.
Officials first extended the deadline until Wednesday morning, then announced later that day that they would continue dialogue for another 48 hours in view of “constructive dialogue” with student representatives.
They said student protesters would remove “a significant number of tents,” remove non-Colombian protesters from the area, abide by fire department requirements, and prohibit harassment and discriminatory language. He said he promised.
