DC police clear camp protest at GWU

WASHINGTON – In the early hours of Wednesday morning D.C. police began breaking up a camp protest on the campus of George Washington University. WUSA9 was on the scene as police began removing tents from University Yard, where protesters have been camping for 14 days.

Tom Lynch, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed that arrests had been made at the camp but did not say how many people were arrested or what charges might be filed against them.

Student protests remained on campus for days after university President Ellen Granberg wrote a letter calling the protests unlawful. But demonstrators in the camp fought back, saying they would continue protesting until their demands were met.

• Divestment from companies involved in the ongoing war in Gaza
• Make all investments transparent
• Protecting pro-Palestinian speech on campus
• Charges against pro-Palestinian protesters are dropped

Late Tuesday evening, protesters were seen outside Granberg’s home demanding a meeting with the university president and the reinstatement of eight suspended GW students.

RELATED: Students protest outside George Washington University president’s home

While authorities say the large encampment was cleared at 5 a.m. Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Police Chief Pamela Smith are expected to testify before Congress about the university protest later Wednesday.

On April 17, anti-war demonstrations began across the country on the campus of Columbia University. Since then, some school leaders have reached agreements with pro-Palestinian protesters to ward off possible disruptions to final exams and graduation ceremonies.

The agreements at schools like Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amid chaotic scenes and more than 2,400 arrests at 46 campuses across the country.

The agreements included promises from universities to review their investments in Israel or face demands to stop doing business with the long-time U.S. ally. As the war in Gaza continues, many of protesters’ demands focus on ties to the Israeli military.

RELATED: George Washington University president says campus demonstrations are out of control

RELATED: “I find it shameful” | Students respond to the GWU president’s letter calling the protests “unlawful.”

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