As of Friday night, D.C. police had not attempted to arrest anyone inside the camp, but university officials had barricaded the camp and were not allowing new people to join. City officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive police operation, said there were no immediate plans to clear the area known as University Yards along H Street between 20th and 21st Streets NW. Ta. They noted that the situation could change if demonstrators start committing or advocating violence or if extremists join the group.
A George Washington University spokesperson did not respond to questions about discussions between school officials and law enforcement officials. “Following demonstrators refusing multiple directives to relocate, GWPD has requested additional assistance from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to ensure the safety and security of all community members through a measured and orderly approach,” the school said in a statement. ” he said.
D.C. police also declined to comment on officials' discussions with the university, and it was not immediately clear what tactics officers were considering as they prepared to enter the encampment Friday morning. It wasn't obvious. Police in Washington, D.C., are used to dealing with daily demonstrations over all sorts of political issues in the nation's capital, usually trying to persuade demonstrators to voluntarily surrender. But they can also use more aggressive tactics, wearing riot gear, forming lines, and attempting to force large groups to move.
A D.C. police spokesperson said in a statement that officers were monitoring the demonstration. So far, D.C. police have maintained a low-key presence near protest sites.
“As always, we are continually assessing and evaluating the situation on the ground to inform our response,” the statement said.
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which advises law enforcement agencies on best practices, said it's difficult for authorities to deny requests from universities to remove unwanted protesters from privately owned campuses. He said it was rare. Protests over the war in Gaza on other university campuses have seen police clash with demonstrators, demanding arrests and disbanding encampments.
But Wexler said the university should show police a “compelling reason” to intervene, and D.C. police appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“If they're peaceful protesters and MPD says, 'Look, we're going to stand by.' We're not withdrawing, we're just saying we don't see a need to come in at this point.” “That's fine,” he said.
In Boston, law enforcement officers stormed into pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempting to erect a human wall. The interaction was so tense that police said at least four officers were injured and multiple Emerson College students were pushed to the ground.
In Southern California, law enforcement officers struggled with demonstrators through a growing crowd as they tried to destroy a tent encampment on campus, ultimately arresting more than 90 people.
Atlanta police said officers used a chemical irritant when they confronted protesters at an encampment at Emory University. And in Texas, state troopers in riot gear detained dozens of protesters at the direction of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Some members marched through the campus on horseback. Some people pushed protesters on bicycles and erected barricades.
In Washington, D.C., protesters are on the grounds of a private university but D.C. police said they had to invite them to take action on campus because they did not see any crimes being committed. . To do so, school officials would have to declare the protesters trespassers who refuse to leave, or cite other possible crimes.
Washington, D.C. officials spoke about their decision not to disperse the encampment at George Washington University. He said he had flashbacks to when footage of him being forced out of Yette Square made national news. Officials said city leaders proposed an alternative plan to force an end to the demonstration at George Washington University, but did not explain what it would be.
By late Friday afternoon, the number of demonstrators at the encampment had dwindled to about 30 people. The university later warned students who remained in the camp that they could be temporarily suspended or administratively barred from campus.
Ariel Geismar, president of the student government, said in a statement that she urged the government “not to use violence or coercion by making demands such as: [university police] or [D.C. police] Forcibly expel students from school. ”
Geismar said, “Students across the country are being brutalized and injured during forced removals. I am deeply concerned about their safety.” She said she has not been briefed on the plan by school leaders. Ta.
Emily Davies contributed to this report.
