By The opinion
Apr 27, 2024, 7:43 PM EDT
About 100 people were arrested Saturday morning during a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston, university officials said.
The university said its police department, with the help of local authorities, began clearing “an unauthorized encampment” on campus early in the morning.
“What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation with Northeastern,” the university said in its statement on X. “Last night, the use of virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ ‘ crossed the line. “We cannot tolerate this type of hate on our campus.”
The video circulating online appears to show statement made by a counter-protester holding an Israeli flag, who was greeted with boos from other protesters on campus. It is not clear whether the person who said the anti-Semitic phrase was among those detained or sanctioned.
The main student organization behind the protest, Huskies for a Free Palestine (HFP), called the administration’s statement “false narratives” and accused the administration of implying that the phrase was said by pro-Palestinian protesters and using it “as justification for arresting 100 Northeastern faculty, staff and students.”
University spokesperson Renata Nyul said, “That expression has no place on any university campus,” regardless of the context.
The university said that of the approximately 100 people police detained, students “who presented a valid Northeastern ID were released.”
“They will face disciplinary procedures within the university, not legal action,” the statement said. “Those who refused to reveal their affiliation were arrested.”
Northeastern is one of many universities across the country facing pro-Palestinian protests on its campuses, with students protesting the war between Israel and Hamas and pressuring schools to disclose their investments.
No to camps
Many universities have said they support free speech and allow protests, but that camps violate school policy.
Saturday, Dozens of people were arrested at other universities that repressed the camps.
At Arizona State University, 69 people were arrested and charged with trespassing related to establishing a camp, according to a university spokesperson. The school said the camp was set up by people who were not students, faculty or university staff, and who refused instructions to disperse.
Police arrested 23 people at Indiana University on Saturday after protesters were warned to remove tents or other structures that violate university policy. Those who did not do so were “detained and expelled,” the university said.
Those arrested face charges ranging from trespassing to resisting law enforcement. It is not known if they are affiliated with the university.
With information from The Hill and NBC News
Keep reading:
– Columbia, Harvard, Emory: How anti-Gaza war protests spread across major universities
– “We are afraid that the US will deport us for protesting at the university against the war in Gaza”
– Protests over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza spread to more universities