Around 100 people were arrested early Saturday morning as police broke up the pro-Palestinian encampments at Northeastern University.
Police gathered inside Shillman Hall overnight, then came out in the early hours and started to spread out around the centennial common, telling protesters to go home. But their chants grew louder.
Moving trucks arrived on scene to assist police.
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Northeastern University has called the demonstration a violation of the student code of conduct, but many students have said they are willing to face discipline from the school as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza and divesting from companies with ties to Israel.
”The quads on Northeastern’s Boston campus are reserved by the division of Student Life for scheduled university events. Students currently demonstrating on Centennial Quad do not have authorization and are in violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Those who are not affiliated with Northeastern are trespassing. The university will take action accordingly.” said the University administration.
The anti-war protest was peaceful and organized by students, said Northeastern sophomore Alina Caudle. She said the vast majority of people participating were students and decried the university for claiming otherwise and supporting the arrest of students.
"It shouldn't be a partisan issue, it should be simple. We don't want innocent lives to be lost. We don't want children to be killed and buried in mass graves," she said.
Mass State Police said 102 people were arrested and face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges and are being transported to the Suffolk County House of Correction to be booked and processed.
Northeastern University released a statement on Saturday morning through social media saying approximately 100 people had been detained and the ones without a university ID were arrested.
Videos from the demonstration appeared to show one counter-protester holding an Israeli flag saying “Kill the Jews.” The video does not show anyone else joining the chant.
Police have previously ordered anyone without a school ID to leave the demonstration. Many of the detained protesters have been released.
