Since first popping up at Columbia University in New York City April 18, student encampments of pro-Palestinian protesters have been emerging on college campuses around the country, including several at prominent Boston-area universities.
As of Monday, April 22, dozens of protesters at MIT, Tufts University, and Emerson College were occupying outdoor spaces on or near campuses to demand the schools cut ties with Israeli companies and military and call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Harvard students joined the effort on Wednesday with encampments set up in Harvard Yard.
Early Thursday morning, police arrested more than 100 Emerson students and dispersed the camp, which was in a public alley near the college.
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The following is a statement from ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose following the arrest of more than 100 protesters at an Emerson College encampment.
“Protest is a central part of Boston’s history, including political expression and activism at local colleges and universities. From large demonstrations against the Vietnam War to ongoing demonstrations related to the conflict in Israel and Palestine, such student advocacy plays an essential role in academic communities and our democracy.
“Last night’s police response to demonstrations at Emerson College risked the safety and well-being of all in the area. While authorities may enforce reasonable restrictions to ensure access to public ways and to avoid disruption to school activities and services, we are concerned that campuses and law enforcement nationwide are increasingly cracking down on political expression, rushing in police to arrest protestors and authorizing aggressive treatment.
“There is a distinction between removing encampments to ensure safe access to a public right of way and using physical violence against students engaging in peaceful expression. City and campus officials should take great care to distinguish between the two; if the alley is considered a public way for purposes of Boston’s anti-tent ordinance, then it is also a public way for purposes of free speech. Students and other Boston residents should be able to voice their support for Palestine or Israel without fear of becoming a target of the Boston Police Department.
“Such forceful clampdowns on protest have serious implications for free speech rights on every issue. Let’s be clear: It’s an election year with so much at stake for freedom, justice, and our democracy itself. Especially now, colleges and universities have a responsibility to shore up their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent.”
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