DC police move to clear pro-Palestine student protest
By Thomas Mackintosh
Police have made several arrests at George Washington University (GW) after officers moved to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment from the campus.
A spokesperson for Washington DC Metro Police told the BBC that “a number of arrests” were made for assaults on a police officer and unlawful entry.
University students have been inside an encampment since 25 April.
Since mid-April pro-Palestinian demonstrations have broken out at nearly 140 US colleges.
Despite GW’s efforts to offer an alternative protest site, the encampment has persisted and has drawn attention from beyond the campus. University officials say it is unclear how many of the demonstrators are students.
“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,” a GWU statement said.
Metro Police told the BBC there has been “a gradual escalation in the volatility” of the protest and as a result officers moved to disperse the demonstrators from GW.
“Therefore, this morning, working closely with the GW administration and police, MPD moved to disperse the demonstrators from the GW campus and surrounding streets,” the statement added.
