Several US universities are witnessing multiple protests amid heightened tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, resulting in over 200 arrests, according to a report by The New York Post. Institutions affected include Northeastern University, Arizona State University, Indiana University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Nationwide arrests surpass 700 since the dismantling of a protest camp at Columbia University on April 18th. Notable figures, including Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2024 presidential candidate, and her team members at Washington University in St. Louis, have been arrested.
Police Intervention
At Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts State Police intervened to disperse a gathering on Centennial Common. Despite calls from university officials to vacate, tensions escalated. Similar incidents unfold at other universities, with 118 arrests at Emerson College, 69 at Arizona State University, and 33, including 23 students, at Indiana University Bloomington. While some campuses resorted to police intervention, others, like the University of Pennsylvania, opted for heightened security measures without arrests.
How have the universities responded?
Universities have implemented measures to curb protests, including access restrictions at Harvard University’s Harvard Yard and disciplinary actions at Cornell University against students involved in organizing encampments.