Pro-Palestine protests at US university ‘infiltrated by professional organisers’

Officers said that 102 protesters who refused to leave were arrested and will be charged with trespassing.

Northeastern University said in a statement on social media that it decided to call in police due to people not affiliated with the school attending on site.

Protests held at Northeastern University in Boston

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The camp was set up at the Boston university

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Protests have broken out across the US

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A spokesperson said the protests had been: “Infiltrated by professional organisers” with no affiliation to the university and that antisemitic slogans, including “Kill the Jews” had been witnessed.

In the past two weeks, pro-Palestinian protests have spread to college campuses across the US triggered by the mass arrest of over 100 people at Columbia University in New York more than a week ago.

Student leaders have acknowledged that isolated incidents of antisemitism and harassment have occurred but blame outsiders they say have sought to hijack their movement.

The Columbia campus was peaceful on Saturday, a school spokesman said, but crackdowns took place at a handful of other campuses.

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Columbia University in New York has seen a number of pro-Palestine protests

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Students take part in a protest encampment in support of Palestinians at the Columbia University campus

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Crackdowns continued over the weekend including a lockdown at the University of Southern California (USC) and a heavy police presence.

More than 200 people were arrested at a handful of schools including 80 late on Saturday at Washington University in St. Louis. Among those arrested at Washington University was 2024 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC News President Biden acknowledges that many Americans have strong feelings about the war in Gaza.

Kirby said: “He respects that and as he has said many times, we certainly respect the right of peaceful protest. People should have the ability to air their views and to share their perspectives publicly, but it has to be peaceful.”

Protests at Washington University

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Columbia University in New York has been filled with Palestinian flags

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Kirby said, the President condemns antisemitism and condemns hate speech.

At USC, the administration last week cancelled the main commencement ceremony after a decision to call off the valedictorian speech by a Muslim student, who responded by saying she was being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Sunday she believed that cancelling the commencement, with 65,000 people expected to attend, was a decision that USC “had to make.”

Bass told CNN: “They just did not feel that it was going to be safe.”

Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

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A house damaged in an Israeli strike lies in ruin, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah

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It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia today to discuss issues including the governance of Gaza once the war with Israel ends.

Blinken will head to Israel later this week, where he is expected to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the concrete and tangible steps President Biden demanded this month to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Islamist fighters of the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to the health authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza.