Police are breaking up a protest against the Israel-Hamas war at Northeastern University following similar breakups at other Greater Boston universities including Emerson and Tufts and other universities around the country.
The break-up of the encampment began earlier this morning with the clearing of an encampment on the campus’ Centennial Common. The university said that 100 people were detained by police in that early morning action. Anyone with a university ID was released and “will face disciplinary proceedings within the university but not legal action. Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.”
The university’s statement added that the activities of the protesters had grown to a level that the school “cannot tolerate.”
“Earlier this morning the Northeastern University Police Department (NUPD) — in cooperation with local law enforcement partners — began clearing an unauthorized encampment on the university’s Boston campus,” Renata Nyul, the school’s vice president for communications, wrote in a statement shared with the Herald. “What began as a student demonstration two days ago, was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern.”
“Last night, the use of virulent antisemitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ crossed the line,” the statement continued. “We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus.”
As of 8:20 a.m. a group of protesters had locked arms on at least one campus street and were shouting at police.
A group calling themselves “Huskies for a Free Palestine” announced on Thursday that they had established a “Liberated Zone” on the campus’ Centennial Common at 30 Leon Street. The announcement calls for the university to “Disclose, Divest, Denounce!” and advertise “art, community, reading, performances, hot meals, political education, for a free Palestine!”
“After 200 days of genocide in Palestine, Northeastern still refuses to divest. Enough is enough,” the announcement states.”
The demands to the school’s administration are to disclose “full transparency for current financial investments and endowment holdings,” to divest “from all investments in and connections with Israeli companies and institutions,” and to “denounce Israel’s genocide in Palestine and call for an immediate ceasefire.”
The group wrote that “The more bodies we have, the longer we can stay. SHOW UP!”
This is a developing story.