Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at Yale University in Connecticut on Monday, police said, making for another law enforcement crackdown on an anti-Israel demonstration at an Ivy League school in the past week.
Anthony Campbell, the chief of the Yale Police Department, told the Yale Daily News that 40-45 people had been detained and charged with trespassing, a Class A misdemeanor.
Police had warned the protesters on Sunday night that they would be arrested if they did not vacate Yale’s Beinecke Plaza where they had set up tents, Campbell added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters blocked off a local intersection, but a New Haven police officer told the Yale Daily News that there were no plans for arrests so long as there was “no violence or threats or anything like that.”
The more than 300 protesters continue to block the intersection. There were more than 40 officers on the scene; they have now almost all entered the Schwarzman Center rotunda and are not allowing students inside. pic.twitter.com/DcS22fqqrs
— Yale Daily News (@yaledailynews) April 22, 2024
Protesters have reportedly been demanding Yale divest from military weapons manufacturers and chanting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
University President Peter Salovey issued a message on Sunday stating that Yale would “pursue disciplinary actions” for those found to be violating the school’s policies.
“Putting up structures, defying the directives of university officials, staying in campus spaces past allowed times, and other acts that violate university policies and guidelines create safety hazards and impede the work of our university,” Salovey said.
He added, “We are continuing to speak with students who are participating in protests so they understand the disciplinary consequences of actions that violate Yale’s policies.”
Salovey also said that most of the students have been protesting peacefully but noted that he was “aware of reports of egregious behavior, such as intimidation and harassment, pushing those in crowds, removal of the plaza flag, and other harmful acts.”
Yale University “does not tolerate actions, including remarks, that threaten, harass, or intimidate members of the university’s Jewish, Muslim, and other communities,” Salovey said.
“The Yale Police Department is investigating each report, and we will take action when appropriate, including making referrals for student discipline,” he continued. “We are providing support to affected students.”
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Similar demonstrations are taking place on other university campuses across the United States, including at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other Boston-area institutions.
At Columbia University in New York City, police have arrested more than 100 students for refusing to leave an encampment. On Monday, Columbia moved to remote learning to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps,” the school’s president said.
Over the weekend, President Joe Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, and other leaders issued statements condemning acts of anti-Semitism that have been witnessed on campus and beyond.