Police break up GW protest, prompting House to cancel hearing on DC response

Police began clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment on the George Washington University campus Wednesday morning, and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee announced it would cancel a planned hearing into the Washington, D.C. government’s response to the demonstrations.

According to the student article, The GW axHundreds of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers descended on H Street to clear University Yard, where students began protesting on April 25.

Police released a statement Wednesday, who said officers worked to seek “non-arrest methods to de-escalate tensions” and ensure the safety of students, but there was a gradual escalation “in the volatility of the protest.”

videos shared online show students protesting outside university president Ellen Granberg’s home in D.C. MPD said it worked with GW administration and campus police to disperse protesters from campus and surrounding streets.

“During the operation, arrests were made for assault on a police officer and illegal entry,” the MPD statement said. “MPD will continue to support universities or other private entities in need of assistance.”

The police activity follows a Sunday letter from Granberg to local D.C. authorities asking for their help in increasing police presence around demonstrations. Students denounced Granberg’s alleged refusal to meet with organizers about his demands, the Hatchet reported.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement that a hearing on the protests scheduled for Wednesday was no longer necessary.

“I had a good conversation with the mayor [Muriel] Bowser. I thanked her for finally driving the invaders off the GW Campus. It was unfortunate that the situation at GW forced the Oversight Committee to act; however, it was clear that the D.C. police force was not going to do its job,” Comer said.

During Wednesday’s clearing, at least two police officers pepper-sprayed protesters, the Hatchet reported. Video shared online shows protesters being sprayed and moving away from police officers.

MPD said at a press conference Wednesday morning that no officers were seriously injured. When asked if students could organize protests elsewhere on campus, MPD said it was up to Granberg, but they would no longer be allowed to camp in the university quad area.

The Hill has reached out to the university for comment. GW said in a statement reported by the Associated Press that it is committed to protecting students’ right to free speech, but the “camp has evolved into an illegal activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations.”

The GW protests mirror those happening on college campuses across the country. More than 2,000 arrests have occurred since protesters began calling on their universities to divest from Israeli companies or companies that supply weapons to Israel.

—Updated at 9:45 a.m.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story