BOSTON — The swath of protestors on Northeastern University’s campus was joined by Berklee College of Music demonstrators Thursday night after marching down Mass Ave.
This came hours after Boston and campus police officers surrounded an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at Northeastern University.
More than 100 students have gathered at the encampment near the Behrakis Health Sciences Center on Leon Street.
“Northeastern University is complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” said student August Escandon.
Protesters linked arms in a circle around an encampment calling on the university to divest from Israeli companies and denounce the ongoing war in Gaza.
“I think this is the only thing we can be doing. I’m impressed but it’s not enough. We need to keep going,” said one protester.
Video from the scene of the protest showed dozens of police officers gathered around the encampment.
“Northeastern student protesters established a protest encampment on campus, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Students have been met by a large police presence and continual threat of arrest,” a college spokesperson said in a statement. “They are also calling on Northeastern administration to ask police to stand down and allow their peaceful protest to continue.”
A Northeastern spokesperson says this encampment violates the Code of Student Conduct, but the University has not commented on whether or not.it plans to take any action.
Northeastern Police arrested one person at Thursday’s demonstration. Although the reason for that arrest remains unclear.
The encampment at Northeastern joins similar encampment protests that are ongoing at many universities in the area, as well as others across the country.
At Emerson College, more than 100 protesters were arrested after a clash with Boston police officers who were trying to clear an encampment from a public right-of-way.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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