Authorities arrested more than 200 protesters on university campuses this weekend, including at Washington University in St. Louis, Northeastern University, Arizona State University, and Indiana University, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
Massachusetts State Police detained approximately 100 protesters at Northeastern and law enforcement released individuals who could confirm that they were students. Student protesters will face “disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action,” the school said, adding that “those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.”
“Earlier this morning the Northeastern University Police Department (NUPD) — in cooperation with local law enforcement partners — began clearing an unauthorized encampment on the university’s Boston campus,” Northeastern said in a statement. “What began as a student demonstration two days ago, was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern. Last night, the use of virulent antisemitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ crossed the line. We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus.”
Arizona State University’s school police arrested 69 people on Saturday after protesters organized an anti-Israel encampment.
“While the university will continue to be an environment that embraces freedom of speech, ASU’s first priority is to create a safe and secure environment that supports teaching and learning,” the school said in a statement.
Police also arrested 23 individuals at Indiana University Bloomington on Saturday, after arresting 33 protesters on Thursday, for “[erecting] numerous tents and canopies on Friday night with the stated intention to occupy the university space indefinitely.”
Finally, at Washington University in St. Louis, campus police arrested at least 80 individuals, including the progressive Green Party’s 2024 presidential candidate, Jill Stein. Stein’s campaign manager Jason Call told Fox News that “the Stein campaign supports the demands of the students and their peaceful protest and assembly on campus. Student protest for peace and civil liberties has always represented the best part of our collective moral conscience. Solidarity.”
Universities across the United States are finding ways to combat — or ignore — the surge in anti-Israel protests hitting college campuses this week. The University of Southern California announced on Thursday that it canceled the class of 2024’s campus-wide commencement ceremony, after pro-Palestinian protesters criticized the school’s decision to bar anti-Israel valedictorian Asna Tabassum from delivering a graduation speech. Meanwhile, protests and encampments have been set up or are currently active at Columbia University, Cal Poly Humboldt, the University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Emory University, University of Texas-Austin, the University of South Carolina, Emerson University, Yale University, Princeton University, New York University, Northwestern University, and more.