Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were detained on a handful of US university campuses on Saturday, but the activists vowed to continue their movement in support of a cease-fire in Israel's conflict with Hamas, among other demands, according to Reuters.
In an email, the Bloomington, Indiana, police department announced that 23 demonstrators had been taken into custody at Indiana University.
Protesters were informed by Indiana State Police and Indiana University police that they were not permitted to set up tents or camp on campus. Police detained protestors and took them to the Monroe County Justice Center on charges of criminal trespass and resisting arrest when the tents were not taken down.
"The Indiana University Police Department continues to support peaceful protests on campus that follow university policy," the statement said.
Inspired by last week's mass arrest of over 100 people on the campus of Columbia University, pro-Palestinian protests have spread to college campuses around the United States.
Protesters want a ceasefire, as well as an end to US military aid to Israel and amnesty for staff and students who have been disciplined or dismissed for participating in protests. They also want their colleges to withdraw from companies that do business with the Israeli military.
In response, authorities of several universities have requested that police remove out camps and detain anyone unwilling to leave throughout the last week. Officials declare that they support the freedom of protestors to free speech, but they also declare that they will not put up with protesters who violate college standards by using hate speech or setting up camp on campus.
In a statement, the Massachusetts State Police announced that they helped in dismantling a protest camp at Northeastern University in Boston and that 102 protesters who would not leave were taken into custody and will face trespassing charges.
"What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern," the university said in a social media post explaining why it had chosen to summon the police.
According to a statement from Arizona State University, campus police detained 69 protesters early on Saturday.
According to the university, "a group of people – most of whom were not ASU students, faculty, or staff – created an encampment and demonstration"; when they refused to leave, they were taken into custody and charged with criminal trespass.
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