MIT Pro-Palestinian Encampment Cleared Out by Police, Several Students Arrested
In the early hours of Friday morning, officers in riot gear moved in to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The police knocked down tents and made several arrests for trespassing. According to a Cambridge police source, approximately nine individuals were taken into custody. However, it was clarified by a Cambridge Police Department spokesperson that the arrests were conducted by MIT police, with no involvement from the city’s officers. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the operation.
State police personnel were also present near the campus to provide assistance, as stated by a Massachusetts State Police spokesperson. It is worth noting that this was not the first attempt to clear out the encampment. The authorities had previously dismantled it on Monday, but protesters returned and set up camp once again.
These events transpired amidst ongoing hostilities in Gaza, and the MIT demonstrators were calling for the university to sever its research ties with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Similar encampments had been established in other parts of Boston and across the country. Emerson College, Northeastern University, and Tufts University had already seen their encampments disbanded. However, MIT protesters remained steadfast in their cause.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth had issued a statement earlier in the week, urging participants of the encampment to vacate the area or face suspensions. While some demonstrators complied at first, others broke through barricades and reclaimed the encampment on Kresge Lawn. On Thursday, tensions escalated when protesters attempted to block Stata Garage. SKY7-HD captured footage of scuffles between police and protesters, resulting in some arrests.
By Friday morning, little remained of the Kresge Lawn encampment, with all tents, barricades, and protesters removed from the area. Baltasar Dinis, a graduate student at MIT, expressed his perspective, emphasizing that the encampment itself was not the cause but rather a symbol of solidarity with the people of Gaza who are suffering under what he referred to as the “Israeli system of apartheid.” Dinis called for an end to MIT’s complicity with this regime.
The situation at MIT continues to develop, and 7NEWS will provide ongoing coverage both on-air and online.
