On Wednesday morning, a large law enforcement presence was seen at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst campus in response to an anti-Israel protest that had started the previous evening. The protest led to a clash between protesters and police, as captured in a video posted by the UMass Students for Justice in Palestine group on Instagram.
During the protest, demonstrators were heard chanting, 'Who do you serve? Who do you protect?' The situation escalated, resulting in at least 64 arrests, including students and faculty members. Police were working to clear an encampment that had been set up on the Student Union South Lawn.
This incident marked the second encampment formed on the UMass campus as part of a nationwide movement calling on colleges to divest from Israel, which originated at Columbia University in New York City on April 17.
UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski issued a statement denouncing the encampment as 'unauthorized' and demanded the removal of wooden barricades constructed on campus. The Demonstration Response and Safety Team at the school later informed protesters that while they had a first amendment right to free speech, they were trespassing by remaining at the encampment.
Police in riot gear entered the area around the encampment and began making arrests after warnings were issued. The clash between anti-Israel protesters and law enforcement highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the activism taking place on college campuses.
