As graduations drew near, police intervened and disbanded multiple encampments of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at various campuses on Friday.
According to multiple reports, tear gas was employed by officers to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of Arizona Tucson campus in the early hours of Friday morning. The protesters had been occupying the campus and had refused to leave their encampment.
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- 1 Encampment also cleared at MIT
- 2 And encampment broken up at Penn
- 3 Confusion at Johns Hopkins
The school stated that a structure built from wooden pallets and other debris was constructed on campus property after 5 p.m., which was a direct violation of the policy. Despite warnings from university officials to remove the encampment and disperse, these warnings were disregarded. This is in direct contradiction to the zero-tolerance approach to enforcing campus regulations implemented by the school’s president, Robert C. Robbins.
The statement revealed that individuals had spiked police vehicles and hurled rocks and water bottles at officers and university staff. It further emphasized that those who have broken the law will face arrest and prosecution.
According to CBS Tucson affiliate KOLD-TV, it has been confirmed that bottles were being thrown.
The Arizona Daily Star shared a video capturing the events that unfolded next:
According to KOLD, law enforcement officers took action against the demonstrators in the early hours of the morning after repeated commands to disperse were ignored. They used gas and dismantled the fortified encampment, which consisted of wood and plastic barriers. The officers also discharged rubber bullets, as reported by The Daily Star.
According to KOLD, the protesters subsequently departed from the campus and relocated to the opposite side of the street. It was at this point that the police discharged additional gas in their direction. Eventually, they vacated the area.
Last week, four individuals were arrested in the campus area where the protest took place, as reported by KOLD.
The school made the decision to involve law enforcement in order to prioritize the safety of all attendees at the upcoming commencement ceremony on Friday night.
Encampment also cleared at MIT
According to CBS Boston, a significant police presence was deployed to the MIT campus on Friday morning to disperse the encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters.
Around 4 a.m., officers in riot gear formed a line surrounding the tent encampment. Their presence was evident as they proceeded to dismantle tables and tents from within the encampment.
According to CBS Boston, protesters have reported that approximately 10 individuals from the encampment were arrested during the overnight police operation.
Protesters gathered outside the recently cleared encampment on Friday morning, determined to convey that this is not the end.
“We will return because the student movement is relentless,” declared a protester through a megaphone, followed by resounding chants of “we will be back.”
MIT President Sally Kornbluth issued an order for protesting students to vacate the encampment space on Kresge lawn by Monday. However, despite the deadline, the school proceeded to suspend students who chose to ignore the directive.
And encampment broken up at Penn
Philadelphia police and University of Pennsylvania police took action against the pro-Palestinian encampment that was established on College Green Friday morning, according to CBS Philadelphia.
The encampment has now reached its 16th day, with reports of multiple detentions by the police.
In a recent post on X, Penn Public Safety issued a warning to individuals camping in the College Green Encampment. The message was clear: disperse immediately or face the consequences. Those who do not comply within two minutes will be deemed defiant trespassers and subject to arrest. However, the authorities emphasized that those who choose to leave peacefully will not be detained.
Less than 24 hours later, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has urged the university to dismantle the encampment.
Confusion at Johns Hopkins
Tensions are escalating at Johns Hopkins University as pro-Palestine demonstrators continue their presence despite multiple requests from the university administration to disband, as reported by CBS Baltimore. These protestors have been camping on the Baltimore campus for a period of 11 days.
Confusion spread throughout the campus on Wednesday evening as students received a letter from the Student Affairs department, but were left in the dark about the identity of the individuals at the encampment.
“It has definitely been a bit stressful,” expressed JHU student Angelica Fagan. “I feel uncertain about the people present at the encampment.”
“I was completely baffled when I received an email titled ‘Student Conduct’,” expressed Wilson Martinez, a student. “My initial reaction was, ‘What could this be about?'”
It appeared that students were unsure about the specific individuals or groups that could potentially be affected by enforcement actions.
