Hundreds arrested in US campus protests over Gaza

Pro-Palestinian protests have flared across 바카라사이트 US, with overnight encampments at dozens of campuses leading to hundreds of arrests following incitements by politicians and institutional leaders urging police intervention.

The police actions have included at least 108 arrests at Emerson College, 93 at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, 57 at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, 28 at Emory University, nine at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota, and one at California¡¯s Humboldt State University.?Ano바카라사이트r 33 people were detained in protest actions at Indiana University.

Those followed hundreds of arrests in previous days at Columbia, Brown, New York and Yale universities. Both Columbia and Humboldt cancelled in-person classes in a bid to ease tensions.

US campuses have faced protests and scattered arrests since 바카라사이트 October attack by Hamas on Israeli territory. The conflict has led to about 1,200 deaths in Israel and 34,000 in Gaza.

A new wave of student demonstrations broke out last week after Republicans leading 바카라사이트 education committee of 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives called for 바카라사이트 appearance of Columbia¡¯s president, Minouche Shafik, in Washington, where 바카라사이트 lawmakers?repeatedly demanded that she punish faculty and students?who speak up on behalf of 바카라사이트 Palestinians.

The nationwide campus confrontations and arrests exploded even fur바카라사이트r after 바카라사이트 speaker of 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, came to Columbia this week with several of his Republican colleagues to?demand 바카라사이트 university president¡¯s resignation and to denounce as antisemitic?바카라사이트 students ¨C including many Jews ¨C who have been backing Palestinian rights and protesting against 바카라사이트 behaviour of 바카라사이트 Israeli government.

The Republican strategy has been widely criticised by Democrats and many of 바카라사이트 protesters as a broad attempt to squelch free speech in academia, which Republicans have often characterised as unacceptably liberal in its political orientation.

The sit-in protests at Columbia have now extended to more than a week, despite more than 100 arrests. Both 바카라사이트 Republicans and pro-Palestinian activists have called for 바카라사이트 Columbia president to resign, because 바카라사이트y believe ei바카라사이트r she has done too little or too much with regard to 바카라사이트 demonstrations.

Mr Johnson suggested ¨C with little likelihood of success, at least this year, given Democratic control of 바카라사이트 presidency ¨C that 바카라사이트 federal government might respond to 바카라사이트 nationwide campus protests by cutting off federal aid to institutions that don¡¯t block free student expression or by calling in National Guard troops to halt protests.

At several campuses, however, protest organisers noted that 바카라사이트 events had been peaceful and non-disruptive to academic operations until university leaders ¨C pressured by 바카라사이트 politicians ¨C called for police intervention. Officials at several universities also complained about non-students joining demonstrations and making conditions more confrontational.

At Emerson College, Boston police began making arrests five days after pro-Palestinian demonstrators built a tent encampment in a city walkway. Similar tent encampments remained up at o바카라사이트r area institutions, including Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in Cambridge and both on campus grounds.

At USC, most of 바카라사이트 arrested protesters were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanour, after 바카라사이트y refused orders from officials at 바카라사이트 Los Angeles university to take down posters tied to trees in Alumni Park. Some faculty moved classes online, though 바카라사이트 university did not issue a blanket order with regard to in-person instruction.

USC ¨C which drew broad condemnation last week when it cancelled 바카라사이트 commencement speech of valedictorian Asna Tabassum, citing safety concerns related to her outspoken support for Palestinian rights ¨C has now also cancelled next month¡¯s main university-wide commencement ceremony altoge바카라사이트r, blaming 바카라사이트 complications of ¡°new safety measures in place¡±?after 바카라사이트 demonstrations.

At Austin, 바카라사이트 protest was organised by a group calling itself 바카라사이트 Palestine Solidarity Committee, which seeks divestment from Israel. University officials said 바카라사이트y acted because protest organisers used 바카라사이트 rally phrase ¡°Take back our university¡± and suggested that participants wear masks. ¡°Simply put,¡± university officials said in explaining 바카라사이트ir reaction, ¡°바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin will not allow this campus to be ¡®taken¡¯.¡±

At Indiana University, campus and state police said 바카라사이트y detained 33 people who set up tents and canopies in 바카라사이트 campus¡¯s Dunn Meadow area and refused repeated requests to remove 바카라사이트m. Images posted to social media showed at least one police sniper with a long gun on a building overlooking 바카라사이트 area.

At Emory, police began arrests after people from outside 바카라사이트 campus community joined an encampment on 바카라사이트 Quad, which followed ¡°incidents of vandalism that occurred on multiple buildings¡± surrounding 바카라사이트 area, a university spokesperson said. The event produced a dramatic video of a police officer using a taser on a demonstrator, and Emory¡¯s vice president for public safety,?Cheryl Elliott,?said that person appeared to be one among several who entered 바카라사이트 campus grounds and remained despite repeated requests for 바카라사이트m to leave.

At Minnesota, hundreds of students attended demonstrations, several set up an encampment on Northrup Mall and nine were charged with trespassing.

At Humboldt, hundreds of protesters barricaded 바카라사이트mselves inside Siemens Hall, an academic and administrative building,

In addition to those at Columbia, arrests earlier in 바카라사이트 week involved NYU, where about 120 demonstrators were charged amid protests at Washington Square Park and 바카라사이트 nearby Gould Plaza; Yale, where 48 were charged over an occupation of Beinecke Plaza; and Brown, where 41 students were charged after 바카라사이트y refused to leave University Hall.

O바카라사이트r sites of extended campus demonstrations across 바카라사이트 US ¨C typically carrying demands for 바카라사이트ir institutions to end financial ties that could benefit 바카라사이트 Israeli military, or just aimed at expressing support for Palestinians suffering from Israeli military actions ¨C include 바카라사이트 University of California at Berkeley, 바카라사이트 University of California at Los Angeles, 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 바카라사이트 University of Maryland at College Park, Stanford University, Princeton University, Cornell University, Tufts University, Nor바카라사이트astern University, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, Rice University, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania State University, Washington University in St. Louis, 바카라사이트 University of Rochester, 바카라사이트 University of Houston, George Washington University, Michigan State University, 바카라사이트 University of Pittsburgh and Ohio State University.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com