A wave of anti-Israel protests swept through university campuses Thursday morning in Princeton, with dozens of demonstrators attempting to set up tent encampments, only for university police to move in and arrest two people. a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Princeton Israel Apartheid Divest, which is participating in the protests, slammed the show of force on social media, calling the school’s police “pigs.”
A university spokesperson said the protest began with a sit-in in McCosh’s courtyard, after which some people began erecting tents, a violation of school policy. Demonstrators also held up a large banner reading “Popular University for Gaza.”
Princeton University Public Safety, the Ivy League’s police force, gave the protesters several warnings before taking action, the university said.
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Aerial view of protesters in Princeton on Thursday. Two people were arrested after protesters attempted to set up a tent encampment at an Ivy League facility. (WTXF)
Authorities subsequently arrested two graduate students on charges of trespassing and immediately banned them from campus pending disciplinary proceedings, the spokesperson said.
The College of New Jersey said all tents have since been voluntarily removed by protesters, but social media posts indicate protesters continue to sit in the courtyard on tarps and blankets. It is shown.
“The pigs pictured here are arresting two fearless students!” reads a post about Princeton Israel Apartheid Divest’s X.
“The administration is trying to ban, suspend, and expel them. Please join us in calling on the Princeton administration to stand in solidarity with Gaza and the students who are peacefully protesting!”
As police led away one of the arrestees, the crowd cheered and began chanting, “We will not stop, we will not rest, we will not expose, we will not sell.”
According to a draft press release, the demonstrators called on the university to “secession and disengagement from Israel” and called attention to Princeton’s “active contribution to the ongoing genocide and human rights catastrophe.” asking you to pay.
“Guys, we’re going to be here a while,” one demonstrator shouted after his arrest, the Daily Princetonian reported, adding that they had also set up art projects, a library and a yoga area in the courtyard.
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Two people were arrested Thursday as protesters attempted to set up a tent encampment during an anti-Israel demonstration at Princeton University. (FOX News Photo/Joshua Commins)
“We will stay here until the university is dissolved,” another demonstrator told the publication.
Rabbi Eitan Webb, co-director of Chabad House in Princeton, was part of a group of six counter-protesters holding American and Israeli flags and stood aside.
“I commend the Princeton administration for being clear about what the rules are and for enforcing them properly,” Webb told the Daily Princetonian.
The protest took place this morning despite the university sending a message to students on Wednesday detailing how it would handle such protests.
President’s University President Christopher Eisgruber wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper outlining the university’s commitment to free speech, but noting that protesters must abide by strict rules.
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Anti-Israel protesters tried to set up a tent encampment at Princeton University on Thursday, but police stormed in and arrested two people. The tents were removed by protesters who continued to demonstrate. (WTXF)
“That guarantee also applies to protests and demonstrations, unless they involve genuine intimidation, harassment, conduct that interferes with the right of others to be heard, violates the law, or disrupts important activities.” ” Eisgruber wrote.
“Some types of protests (such as occupying or blocking buildings, setting up outdoor encampments, or sleeping in outdoor spaces on campus) are inherently unsafe for both those involved and bystanders, and may lead to escalation. and increase the likelihood of conflict.”
He said these types of protests also contradict the university’s mission and legal obligations to provide a safe environment for all students and staff.
“Anyone who engages in camping, occupation, or other illegal acts of vandalism and does not cease after being warned will be arrested and immediately banned from campus,” Eisgruber wrote, adding that such behavior may impede a student’s ability to complete the semester. be awarded a diploma or be expelled.
