On Tuesday, Joe Biden condemned a “ferocious wave” of anti-Semitism.
Washington:
Washington police cleared an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at George Washington University on Wednesday, authorities said, making several arrests before dawn.
Shortly after 04:00 (08:00), hundreds of agents invaded a university courtyard, making arrests and using pepper spray, reported the student-run newspaper GW Hatchet. CNN said about three dozen people were arrested.
Police remained at the scene around 10 a.m., according to an AFP reporter, as tents were dragged toward a garbage truck and a student held a sign reading “Free Palestine” on the sidewalk.
The arrests came as the mayor and police chief of the nation’s capital were expected to testify before Congress later in the day about why the camp — which had entered its second week — took so long to be cleared.
However, after the camp was cleared, Republicans who control the House Oversight Committee said they would cancel the hearing.
“It was unfortunate that the situation at GW forced the Oversight Committee to act; however, it was clear that the DC police force was not going to do its job,” Rep. James Comer said in a statement.
The police department said in a statement that it attempted to “de-escalate tensions” without arrests, but that based on “incidents and intelligence, there has been a gradual escalation in the volatility of the protest.”
Campus protests have erupted across the country in recent weeks, with students demonstrating against the war in Gaza and calling on universities to cut direct or indirect financial ties with US arms manufacturers and Israeli institutions.
The sometimes raucous rallies shook colleges. Some Jewish students reported threats and anti-Semitism, while pro-Israel counter-protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles physically attacked protesters at a camp.
Both President Joe Biden and universities have tried to walk a fine line between free speech rights and concerns about intimidation.
On Tuesday, Biden condemned a “ferocious rise” in anti-Semitism in a speech at the Capitol, saying “there is no place on any campus in America – anywhere in America – for anti-Semitism, hate speech or threats of violence.” of any kind.”
The protesters — including some Jewish student organizers — said they denounced acts of anti-Semitism and accused their detractors of confusing criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.
They also criticized what they see as a heavy-handed police response – with more than 2,000 students arrested across the country – and said harassment of Muslim, Palestinian and Jewish students who oppose the war is being ignored.
The unrest continued at spring graduation ceremonies, where, at the University of Michigan, students unfurled Palestinian flags and launched chants.
Columbia, the epicenter of the protests, canceled its main graduation ceremony on Monday.
The Ivy League school in New York, where at least 100 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested last week, cited security concerns.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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