Police across the United States made at least 275 arrests over the weekend as campus protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza continue to spread.
In Boston, police detained about 100 people after students set up a Palestine solidarity encampment on the campus of Northeastern University. The school justified the raid, citing what it called “virulent antisemitic slurs” after someone chanted “Kill the Jews” at the encampment. But video and eyewitness testimony revealed the antisemitic chant was actually done by a counterprotester holding an Israeli flag.
The group Huskies for a Free Palestine said, “The only people hurling antisemitic slurs last night were Zionist counter-protestors attempting to instigate our peaceful encampment. Despite this, the university exploited this moment to lie about our encampment and justify the brutal arrest of over 100 students.”
In St. Louis, police arrested more than 80 people at a pro-Palestinian encampment at Washington University. The arrested included Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
At Arizona State University, police made around 70 arrests on Friday as they broke up an encampment on Alumni Lawn.
At Indiana State University, state police arrested 33 people Friday as they broke up an encampment on the Bloomington campus.
Despite the police crackdown, campus encampments continue to spread, including at CUNY, the City University of New York.
Shak Alsogdiy: “Today we’re having an encampment in City College, City University of New York, and we are demanding that CUNY divest and be transparent with the investment. And we are demanding that students, workers of CUNY cannot be harassed, cannot be doxxed for standing up for Palestine.”
