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Tensions rise as police arrest 150 pro-Palestinian protesters at Yale and NYU Student Gaza protests: top Republicans call on Biden to send in federal officers
(about 2 hours later)
Unrest spreads across US university campuses as Columbia moves to remote teaching for remainder of semester after student arrests Letter from 25 senators including Mitch McConnell says president ‘must act immediately to restore order’ on university campuses
Police arrested around 150 protesters at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale and New York University on Monday night, while Columbia University announced that classes would be taught remotely for the rest of the semester, as anger boiled over on leading US campuses. Senior Republican US senators on Tuesday waded into growing tensions at leading universities over the Israel-Gaza war, demanding the Biden administration send in federal law enforcement officers to curb pro-Palestinian protests that have led to hundreds of arrests.
The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, and his deputy, John Thune, wrote to the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, and the education secretary, Miguel Cardona, with strong language calling demonstrators “anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs”.
Police had arrested about 150 protesters at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale and New York University on Monday night, while Columbia University announced that classes would be taught remotely for the rest of the semester, as anger boiled over following more than 100 arrests there last week.
Some university leaders, most notably at Columbia, are facing calls for resignation this week and fierce criticism – from those outraged at the protests and those outraged at the crackdown on the protests.
On Tuesday afternoon, 25 Republican senators led by McConnell wrote: “The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated [sic] violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students.”
The Missouri senator Josh Hawley and Arkansas senator Tom Cotton on Monday had called for Joe Biden to send national guard troops on to campus.
On the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on Monday evening, the university said in a statement. Students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary action.On the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on Monday evening, the university said in a statement. Students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary action.
Several hundred people had been protesting on the Yale university campus, including hunger strikers, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers and other companies with ties to Israel. Yale said it had repeatedly asked students to leave, and warned them they could face law enforcement and disciplinary action if they did not. Several hundred people had been protesting at Yale, including hunger strikers, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers and other companies with ties to Israel.
And in downtown Manhattan, police clashed with protesters at New York University. There were reports of officers using pepper spray as demonstrators tried to block a police bus from leaving the scene with detained students, and more than 100 people were arrested.And in downtown Manhattan, police clashed with protesters at New York University. There were reports of officers using pepper spray as demonstrators tried to block a police bus from leaving the scene with detained students, and more than 100 people were arrested.
Officers moved on an encampment near the university shortly after nightfall. There, too, hundreds of demonstrators had defied university warnings that they faced consequences if they failed to vacate the plaza.
NYU spokesperson John Beckman, in a statement said “that there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported.”NYU spokesperson John Beckman, in a statement said “that there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported.”
NYU professors wrote an open letter signed from the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at the university denying that any NYU-affiliated protesters had engaged in antisemitism or intimidation of others via the demonstration.NYU professors wrote an open letter signed from the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at the university denying that any NYU-affiliated protesters had engaged in antisemitism or intimidation of others via the demonstration.
The letter decried heavy-handed tactics by the police and restrictions on the number of NYU students or faculty that could join the protest encampment after a barrier was set up, while saying that those taking part were loud but peaceful and “at no time was anyone on the plaza [site of the camp] either violent or antisemitic in speech or behavior”.The letter decried heavy-handed tactics by the police and restrictions on the number of NYU students or faculty that could join the protest encampment after a barrier was set up, while saying that those taking part were loud but peaceful and “at no time was anyone on the plaza [site of the camp] either violent or antisemitic in speech or behavior”.
It said that NYU leadership’s decision to call the New York Police Department (NYPD) was “capricious” and noted particularly that many protesters are people of color and that NYPD has a history of brutality against this demographic and that police unnecessarily arrived en masse, in full riot gear.It said that NYU leadership’s decision to call the New York Police Department (NYPD) was “capricious” and noted particularly that many protesters are people of color and that NYPD has a history of brutality against this demographic and that police unnecessarily arrived en masse, in full riot gear.
The letter said: “The point of the protest was to express support for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank” and accused NYU of being complicit “in the genocide of the Palestinian people” and “NYU’s investment in the weapons manufacturing that facilitates such genocide”.The letter said: “The point of the protest was to express support for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank” and accused NYU of being complicit “in the genocide of the Palestinian people” and “NYU’s investment in the weapons manufacturing that facilitates such genocide”.
On Monday night, video on social media showed police taking down tents in the protesters’ encampment in a tense and at times chaotic scene. Some officers tossed tents, and others grappled with demonstrators.On Monday night, video on social media showed police taking down tents in the protesters’ encampment in a tense and at times chaotic scene. Some officers tossed tents, and others grappled with demonstrators.
Protesters tussled with officers and chanted: “We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest.”Protesters tussled with officers and chanted: “We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest.”
A New York police spokesperson said arrests were made after the university asked police to enforce trespassing violations but the total number of arrests and citations would remain unknown until much later. The police crackdowns came after Columbia University witnessed a huge walkout by faculty on Monday in solidarity with students who were arrested last week after setting up a camp protest.
The police crackdowns came after Columbia University witnessed a huge walkout by faculty on Monday in solidarity with students who were arrested last week after setting up a camp protest, with demands for the elite institution to divest from companies tied to Israel.
Bassam Khawaja, a lecturer at Columbia law school and supervising attorney at the school’s human rights clinic, told the Guardian he was “shocked and appalled that the president went immediately to the New York police department”.Bassam Khawaja, a lecturer at Columbia law school and supervising attorney at the school’s human rights clinic, told the Guardian he was “shocked and appalled that the president went immediately to the New York police department”.
“This was by all accounts, a non-violent protest,” he said. “It was a group of students camping out on the lawn in the middle of campus. It’s not any different from everyday life on campus.”“This was by all accounts, a non-violent protest,” he said. “It was a group of students camping out on the lawn in the middle of campus. It’s not any different from everyday life on campus.”
After the crackdown at Columbia, students across the US launched their own protests in solidarity, many of them calling for their universities to back a ceasefire in Gaza and divest from companies with ties to Israel. After the crackdown at Columbia, the latest round of demonstrations spread, including pitching tents on campus for round-the-clock protests.
Students at Brown, Princeton and Northwestern held protests on Friday and over the weekend.Students at Brown, Princeton and Northwestern held protests on Friday and over the weekend.
And in an open letter written on Monday in support of the Columbia student protesters, faculty and staff at Princeton University, in New Jersey, wrote: “We call upon the Columbia University administration to reinstate those students who were wrongfully suspended for exercising their constitutionally recognized right to speech and peaceful assembly. We demand that all charges be dismissed and expunged from their student records, and that all rights and privileges be restored to them immediately.”And in an open letter written on Monday in support of the Columbia student protesters, faculty and staff at Princeton University, in New Jersey, wrote: “We call upon the Columbia University administration to reinstate those students who were wrongfully suspended for exercising their constitutionally recognized right to speech and peaceful assembly. We demand that all charges be dismissed and expunged from their student records, and that all rights and privileges be restored to them immediately.”
The letter also called for the removal of NYPD from campus.The letter also called for the removal of NYPD from campus.
Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College, both in the Boston area, have started their own protest encampments.Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College, both in the Boston area, have started their own protest encampments.
Other institutions that saw protest actions included Boston University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Other institutions that saw protest actions included Boston University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
At Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, California, students barricaded themselves in a building for a sit-in, prompting the university to cancel classes and close campus through Wednesday.
Robert Kraft, a major donor to Columbia University and the owner of the Patriots NFL football team who funded the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life at Columbia, on Monday announced he would pull his support “until corrective action is taken” on campus.Robert Kraft, a major donor to Columbia University and the owner of the Patriots NFL football team who funded the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life at Columbia, on Monday announced he would pull his support “until corrective action is taken” on campus.
Amid a diversity of views on the New York campus of Columbia, some Jewish students have joined the pro-Palestinian protests, others are staying away and some have said they feel unsafe. Amid a diversity of views, some Jewish students have joined the pro-Palestinian protests, others are staying away and some have said they feel unsafe.
The Columbia University president, Nemat Minouche Shafik, called in police last week to clear a tent encampment on its main lawn of students demanding the university divest from companies with ties to Israel. The Columbia University president, Nemat Minouche Shafik, called in police last week and has come under criticism from many parties, including calls from some members of Congress to resign.
She has come under fire both for not cracking down on the growing protests and for the manner in which she cracked down, by calling in the city’s police department to arrest students. She is facing calls to resign from some members of Congress, mainly Republican but also Democratic. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed reporting
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed reporting.