100 detained as police clears pro-Palestinian camp at Boston University in US

Boston:

Riot police detained about 100 people as they cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at Boston University on Saturday, the latest in a series of clashes on US campuses in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas.

Northeastern University social media platform

The campus protests have posed a major challenge for university administrators across the country who are trying to balance free speech commitments with complaints that the rallies have devolved into anti-Semitism and hate speech.

Police have made mass arrests at universities in recent days, sometimes using chemical irritants and Tasers to disperse protesters.

In its statement, Northeastern said campus police, supported by local law enforcement, moved in on Saturday to remove “unauthorized encroachment” on campus.

“What started as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers who had no connection to Northeastern,” the school said.

It said those detained who showed valid school IDs have been released and will face disciplinary proceedings, not legal action.

“Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” the school said.

– ‘Zionists do not deserve to live’ –

Tensions were also rising Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania, where the college president ordered an immediate campus desegregation after “credible reports of harassing and intimidating conduct.”

Meanwhile, Columbia University in New York, where the protests began, announced Friday it would not call back police to the campus after the arrest of more than 100 people last week.

“Bringing back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, would further inflame what is happening on campus, and would bring thousands of people to our doors who will threaten our community,” school leaders said in a statement, referring to the NYPD. ” Department.

The decision came after Columbia indicated it had barred campus protest leader Khimani James, who said in a video in January that “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” and “Be grateful” from visiting campus. That I am not.” Just going out and killing Zionists.”

The school said, “Slogans, signs, taunts and social media posts by our own students that mock Jewish people and threaten to ‘murder’ them are completely unacceptable and Columbia students who engage in such incidents will be punished.” Will be held accountable.”

Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Palestinian militants also took about 250 people hostage. Israel estimates that 129 people remain in Gaza, of whom 34 have been killed according to the military.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 34,356 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)