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Pro-Palestinian protesters dig in on campuses

2024-04-29 08:24:19China Daily Editor : Li Yan ECNS App Download

Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses throughout the U.S. extended into the weekend, some universities moved to shut down encampments, and police continued to arrest protesters.

The protesters are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict with Hamas.

With the end of the school year approaching, university leaders are worried the unrest will disrupt graduation events.

There have been some reports of antisemitic activity among students protesting the Israel-Hamas conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and that they are afraid to be on campus.

At Columbia University in New York, where protesters have inspired demonstrations across the country, negotiations continued with those involved in the student encampment.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said of Columbia's graduation ceremonies: "I want to know that this is well thought out, what protections you have, security measures in place, additional resources you're bringing to the table. I need to know that these commencements are going to be safe environments as well, all across the state."

On Saturday evening, as U.S. President Joe Biden spoke before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner, a large group of protesters outside the event condemned his handling of the Gaza conflict and Western media coverage of it.

"Shame on you," protesters draped in the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh cloth shouted, running after men in tuxedos and suits and women in long dresses as guests and other participants hurried inside.

Other protesters lay sprawled motionless on the pavement, next to mock-ups of flak vests with "press" insignia.

Demonstrators cried "Free, free Palestine". They cheered when at one point someone inside the Washington Hilton, where the dinner is held every year, unfurled a Palestinian flag from a top-floor window.

On Friday and Saturday, police broke up student encampments at the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, Ohio State University and other schools.

Police in Boston detained about 100 people while clearing a protest camp at Northeastern University, with social media posts showing security forces in riot gear and officers loading tents onto the back of a truck.

Arizona State University police arrested 69 people for trespassing after the group set up an "unauthorized encampment" on campus.

Arizona State officials said a protest group, "most of whom were not ASU students, faculty or staff", had set up a camp on Friday and ignored repeated orders to disperse.

Police at Indiana University arrested 23 people as they cleared a campus protest camp, the Indiana Daily Student newspaper reported.

Police with shields, batons and other riot gear broke through a line of protesters who had linked arms, tackling those who did not move, the paper said.

Dozens of students remained encamped at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, even though the college president had ordered protesters to disband after what he said were "credible reports of harassing and intimidating conduct".

Tents were taken down

On Saturday, Massachusetts State Police officers said they had arrested 102 protesters and taken down tents. Those arrested would be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said.

There were also protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict outside the U.S..

At the Paris Institute of Political Studies in France, which counts President Emmanuel Macron among its alumni, students blocked access to a campus building on Friday, and classes went online.

Hamas said on Saturday that it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the conflict and stave off a planned Israeli ground offensive into the southern city of Rafah.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya gave no details of Israel's offer, but said it was in response to a proposal by Hamas two weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week cease-fire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The statements came hours after an Egyptian delegation ended a visit to Israel during which it discussed a "new vision" for a prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, an Egyptian official said.

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