Police began clearing a pro-Palestinian camp on the George Washington University campus early Wednesday morning ahead of the D.C. mayor’s House testimony.
According to the student’s paper, GW Hatchethundreds of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers descended on H Street to clear the campus grounds where students began protesting on April 25th.
police issued a statement On Wednesday, police officers said they had sought “non-arrest methods to de-escalate tensions” to ensure the safety of students, but that the “volatility of the protests” was gradually escalating. Announced.
movie share online Students are shown protesting outside the home of University President Ellen Grunberg in Washington, D.C. The police department said it was working with GW administration and campus police to disperse protesters from the campus and surrounding streets. Announced.
“During the operation, arrests were made for assaulting a police officer and trespassing,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. “Police will continue to assist universities and other civilian organizations in need.”
The police action followed a letter Grunberg wrote to local D.C. officials on Sunday asking for their help in increasing police presence around the demonstrations. The Hatchet newspaper reported that the students accused Grunberg of refusing to meet with organizers to discuss their demands.
The Hatchet newspaper reported that at least two police officers sprayed protesters with pepper spray during Wednesday’s sweep.video share online It shows a protester being sprayed and backed away from police.
The Hill has reached out to the university for comment. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, GW said it is committed to protecting students’ right to free expression, but that “the camps have evolved into illegal activities, and participants are subject to multiple university policies. “This is in direct violation of city regulations.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is scheduled to testify Wednesday at a House Oversight Committee hearing focused on pro-Palestinian protests at GW. The hearing follows a visit to the protest by committee members.
The Golden Week protests mirror protests occurring on college campuses across the United States. More than 2,000 arrests have been made since protesters began calling on universities to divest from Israeli companies and companies that supply weapons to Israel.
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