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An anti-Israel tent encampment at George Washington University (GWU) was cleared early Wednesday morning with police arresting dozens of protesters, hours after others left the site and marched to President Ellen Granberg’s home.
The students seen protesting outside Granberg’s residence in Washington, DC, were chanting, “We the students have the power,” “Granberg in your ivory tower,” and, “Granberg, Granberg, we know you, are complicit in genocide too.”
AP reports officials at the university had warned of possible suspensions for students engaging in protest activities on University Yard and elsewhere across the campus.
“While the university is committed to protecting students’ rights to free expression, the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations,” the university said in a statement.
Jewish GWU Students Call for University to Remove Anti-Israel Encampment
Local media had reported that some protesters were pepper sprayed as police stopped them from entering the encampment and nearly 30 people had been arrested, according to community organizers.
In a further statement seen by AP, the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department said arrests were made for assault on a police officer and unlawful entry, but a number of arrests wasn’t immediately given.
The department said it moved to disperse demonstrators because “there has been a gradual escalation in the volatility of the protest.”
Students pray at the Gaza solidarity encampment at George Washington University, now in its 12th day, Washington, DC, May 6, 2024. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Students hold banners and signs as they continue pro-Palestinian demonstrations at George Washington University in Washington DC, United States on May 07, 2024. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tuesday evening, protesters carrying signs that read, “Free Palestine” and “Hands off Rafah,” marched to Granberg’s home, as Breitbart News reported.
Police were called to maintain the crowd. No arrests were made.
The anti-Israel encampment at GWU, which was established on April 25, was one of the remaining encampments established on college and university campuses throughout the nation in support of an initial encampment that began at Columbia University on April 17.
Inside of the Anti-Israel Encampment at George Washington University
Elsewhere an anti-Israel tent encampment was cleared at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after administrators who had initially adopted a permissive approach said the protest had crossed a line and caused growing concerns about safety.
Since April 18, just over 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses, figures based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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