About 100 people were detained from a pro-Palestinian protest at Northeastern University’s Boston campus Saturday morning, according to university officials.
The university said its police department, with the help of local law enforcement, began clearing “an unauthorized encampment” on the campus early in the morning.
“What began as a student demonstration two days ago, was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” the university said in its statement on X. “Last night, the use of virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ crossed the line. We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus.”
Video circulating online appears to show the statement being made by a counterprotester holding an Israeli flag, who was met with boos from other protesters on campus. It’s not clear if the person who said the antisemitic phrase was among those arrested.
The leading student organization behind the protest, Huskies for a Free Palestine, or HFP, called the administration’s statement “false narratives,” and accused the administration of implying the phrase was said by pro-Palestinian protesters and using it “as justification to arrest over 100 Northeastern faculty, workers, and students.”
University spokesperson Renata Nyul said, “That language has no place on any university campus” no matter the context.
The university said that of the approximately 100 people police detained, students “who produced a valid Northeastern ID were released.”
“They will face disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action,” the statement said. “Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.”
Videos posted on HFP’s Instagram showed what the group says were students being arrested. Police officers in riot gear could also be seen in videos on campus.
“Why are you in riot gear? I don’t see no riot here,” protesters could be heard chanting to the officers, along with, “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?”
In other videos posted to HFP’s Instagram, protesters chanted, “Free, free Palestine” and “Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest.”
HFP shared a message to the administration on its Instagram regarding the arrests, which the group says were mostly of non-violent students.
“We sincerely hope that northeastern university administration is aware. You may arrest peaceful protestors. But you CAN NOT stop the movement,” the statement read. “We are students against genocide, and we always will be. Your intimidation will never change that.”
The student group said it is participating in the protest because Northeastern “refuses to even address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that the Genocide against Palestinians had created” and “refuses to cut ties to weapon manufacturers doing business with the Israeli military,” according to its Instagram.
HFP demands that the university disclose its current financial investments, divest from all Israeli companies and others that profit from war in Gaza and “denounce Israel’s genocide in Palestine and call for an immediate ceasefire” as well as an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Northeastern University is one of dozens of universities in the U.S. and Canada where students are protesting for Palestinian human rights after months of war in Gaza, including Columbia, the University of Southern California and Emory.
Students participating in protests on campuses in North America have similar demands to HFP, including divestment from companies that could be profiting from the war and transparency from university administrations regarding where they’re investing their money.
On Friday, Portland State University President Ann Cudd announced that the institution will put a pause on receiving “any further gifts or grants” from Boeing, after receiving a letter signed by members of the community. The university’s Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights has accused Boeing of being “complicit in the occupation and genocide in Palestine,” according to a post on their Instagram account. A spokesperson for Boeing said the company has no comment.
Many universities have said they support freedom of speech and allow protests, but that encampments violate school policy. On Saturday, dozens of people were arrested at other colleges that cracked down on encampments.
At Arizona State University, 69 people were arrested and accused of trespassing related to setting up an encampment, according to a university spokesperson. The school said the encampment was established by people who were not university students, faculty or staff, and that they refused instructions to disperse.
Police arrested 23 people at Indiana University on Saturday after protesters were warned to remove tents or other structures that violated university policy. Those who didn’t were “detained and removed,” the university said. The people arrested face charges ranging from criminal trespass to resisting law enforcement. It’s unclear whether they are affiliated with the university.