More than 100 protesters detained at Boston's Northeastern University as police clear pro-Palestinian camp

More than 100 protesters were detained from the Northeastern Universitycampus in Boston, on Saturday (Apr 27) morning as the police moved to break up the encampments set up by the pro-Palestinian demonstrators on campus.

What happened?

The movecomesafter the protesters resorted to “virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ crossed the line,” said the university in a statement, on X.

It added, “We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus.” Meanwhile, local media reported that the students had been preparing for the raid overnight as police had been gathering inside the campuses’ Shillman Hall earlier this morning.

Subsequently, as the police marched towards protesters telling them to go home, they remained defiant and the chants just kept getting louder, reported NBC10 Boston.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, 102 people were arrested and will face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges.

The police also said those detained are being transferred to Suffolk County House of Correction to be booked and processed.

“What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” said the university.

It also ensured that those who had a valid school ID were released and would face disciplinary proceedings and not legal action, said the school. However, those who “refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” it added.

Meanwhile, Northeastern sophomore Alina Caudle told NBC10 Boston that the anti-war protest was peaceful and organised by students.

“It shouldn’t be a partisan issue, it should be simple. We don’t want innocent lives to be lost,” said Caudle.

Pro-Palestinian protests across campuses

The United States particularly has witnessed massive protests amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, with hundreds of students in American universities across the country joining in.

The protests have reportedly posed a challenge for university officials who are in the midst of figuring out how to balance commitments to free expression while also addressing complaints that the rallies have gone too far.

The arrests on Saturday morning also come days after the Boston police tore down a pro-Palestinian encampment on Emerson College campus and arrested nearly 120 people.

(With inputs from agencies)