Police detain 100 pro-Palestinian protesters in Boston

AFP | Boston     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Police in riot gear detained about 100 people as they cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at a Boston university yesterday, the latest in a series of clashes on US campuses triggered by protests over Israel’s war against Hamas.

The action was taken after some protesters resorted to “virulent anti-Semitic slurs,’” Northeastern University said in a statement on social media platform X.

The campus protests have posed a major challenge to university administrators across the country who are trying to balance commitments to free expression with complaints that the rallies have veered into anti-Semitism and hate speech.

Police have carried out largescale arrests at universities in recent days, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse demonstrators.

In its statement, Northeastern said campus police backed by local law enforcement moved in yesterday to clear “an unauthorized encampment” on the campus. “What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” the school said.

It added that detained individuals who produced a valid school ID have been released and will face disciplinary proceedings, not legal action. “Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” the school said.