Police in Providence, Rhode Island, arrested 18 student protesters at Brown University who were calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
According to a statement from the university, the students staged a sit-in within campus buildings and refused to leave after multiple warnings to do so. Citing a security risk, the college had the group arrested.
SMITHSONIAN GIANT PANDAS LEAVE US FOR CHINA
“To protect the security of all community members and facilities, students cannot remain in non-residential campus buildings past the point of normal operating hours,” a university spokesman said.
“For the students who chose to remain on site, Brown issued trespass warnings at approximately 5:25 p.m. Ultimately, following repeated warnings, the University moved forward with arrests after students were given every opportunity to avoid that outcome. Brown’s Department of Public Safety processed and arrested the students before they were transported to the Providence Police Department.”
The students identified themselves as members of the BrownU Jews For Ceasefire Now group. In a statement, the group declared that the plan was to refuse to leave the building until Brown President Christina Paxson committed to encouraging a ceasefire by taking steps to divest from any companies profiting off of the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza, which the group called a “genocide.”
In its statement, Brown University said that it understands the emotions brought forward due to the war in Gaza and is committed to talking to and addressing students’ concerns.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Recent events in Israel and Gaza are bringing to the forefront deeply held and often conflicting views. At Brown, we recognize our responsibility for being an educational institution that manages challenging discussions in a way that remains true to the fundamental principle of freedom of expression while emphasizing the importance of safety for all community members,” it read. “Brown leaders have met with many student groups in recent weeks to listen to and address concerns, and we will continue to do so moving forward. We know that many community members are feeling the effects of these events in deep and personal ways.”
While most Jewish groups have shown support for Israel, several Jewish groups have earned headlines by carrying out disruptive protests calling for a ceasefire. Members of Jewish groups have been previously arrested for protesting outside the White House and within the U.S. Capitol.
