Hundreds of students have been arrested at universities in the United States as protesters continue to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment of companies enabling Israel's nearly seven-month war against the Palestinian enclave.
Police were out in force on college campuses on Saturday, some using chemical irritants and Tasers to disperse students, as other universities witnessed protests against the continued bombing of the Gaza Strip and seeking an end to US military aid to Israel.
In Boston, police detained about 100 people as they cleared a protest camp at Northeastern University, with social media posts showing security forces in riot gear and officers loading tents onto the back of a truck.
In a statement on X, Northeastern said the area of campus where the protests took place is now “fully secured” and “all campus operations have returned to normal.”
The school said its move came after “what started as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no connection to the North East”. He added that those detained who presented a valid school ID card had been released and would face disciplinary action, not legal action.
— Northeastern U. (@Northeastern) April 27, 2024
In Bloomington, Midwest, the Indiana University Police Department arrested 23 people as they cleared a campus protest camp, the Indiana Daily Student reported.
On the opposite side of the country, the Arizona State University Police Department arrested 69 people for trespassing after a group set up an “unauthorized camp” on campus.
Arizona State officials said the protest group, “most of whom were not ASU students, faculty or staff,” set up camp Friday and ignored repeated orders to disperse.
Meanwhile, at Washington University in St Louis, at least 80 people were arrested, including US presidential candidate Jill Stein and her campaign manager.
Across the United States, university leaders have tried, and mostly failed, to quell the demonstrations, which have often seen violent police crackdowns and videos from various states showing hundreds of students — and even faculty members — being violently arrested.
Protesters demanded amnesty for students and faculty members who were disciplined or fired for protesting. About a week ago, more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists were arrested at Columbia University in New York.
What started on Columbia's campus has turned into a nationwide battle between students and administrators over pro-Palestinian protests and restrictions on free speech. In the past 10 days, hundreds of students have been arrested, suspended, placed on probation and, in rare cases, expelled from colleges, including Yale University, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota.
Students take 'big risks'
Al Jazeera's John Hendren, reporting from Princeton University in New Jersey, said “the cost of protest can be high” for students occupying university campuses.
“Students are taking great risks in these protests. If they violate university rules, they may be expelled. And here at Princeton, tuition is over $50,000 a year,” he said. “For many of them, this is the education they've been looking forward to all their lives.”
Princeton student Sam Bisno told Al Jazeera that taking such risks showed how “passionate” the students were about the issue. “People are willing to put it all on the line. But we know we have strength in numbers,” he said.
Momodou Taal was among four students “temporarily suspended” by Cornell University in New York state on Saturday for setting up a camp on its campus.
He told Al Jazeera that protesting students have received threats and been subjected to doxing, which refers to posting an individual's personal information online without their consent. He said such students did not get any protection from their school.
“We no longer believe that the administration is going to be a safe place for Muslim students, for Arab students, for Palestinian students, and overall for students of color and pro-Palestinian students,” Taal said.
Maysam Elghazali, an organizer of the protests at Emory University in Atlanta, said the protesting students had three demands.
“First, Emory will disclose all of its financial investments. Second, that they get rid of all Israeli companies, and third, that they provide continued amnesty and protection to all students who have been unjustly arrested,” she told Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, university protests against the “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza have also spread to schools in Canada, Europe and Australia.
Canada's first Gaza protest camp was held at McGill University in Montreal on Saturday.
CBC television reported that the protesters demanded that McGill and Concordia universities “divest themselves of funds implicated in the Zionist state, as well as (severing) ties with Zionist academic institutions.”
