Dozens of anti-Israel agitators gathered at Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza demanding divestment from weapon manufacturers. University authorities spent the weekend attempting to negotiate with the group to no avail. The university offered the protesters the opportunity to meet with trustees and avoid arrest if they left the plaza by the end of the weekend, but they declined this offer and continued to occupy the plaza.
Campus police returned to the park Monday morning and some of the agitators dispersed voluntarily. However, they arrested 47 students who continued to refuse to leave around 6:30 a.m. The arrested students will also be referred for Yale disciplinary action, which includes a range of sanctions, such as reprimand, probation, or suspension.
The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the Plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community.
The refusal to meet with university officials prompted some onlookers to question the motive behind the demonstrations. They accused the protesters of trying to disrupt campus because they are entitled and have literally no clue what they are even protesting.
Police from the city of New Haven said they were assisting their campus counterparts but said they had no plans to arrest “non-violent protesters.” Approximately 45 people refused to leave and were charged by Yale officers with Criminal Trespass in the 1st Degree, a misdemeanor. They were transported to a Yale Police facility where they were processed and released.
By 8 a.m., an estimated 200 demonstrators returned to the intersection of Grove and College streets, police said. The protest was ongoing as of early afternoon.
Peaceful protests are protected by the First Amendment. However, if demonstrators cross the line, police have the authority to shut things down, legal experts say.
One Jewish student said an agitator poked her in the eye with a Palestinian flag pole, prompting police to call an ambulance for her.
Anti-Israel demonstrators have been swarming some of the country’s top university campuses in recent days in response to the Israeli military action in Gaza after Hamas terrorists launched an attack in October, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostages.
