Daily Hampshire Gazette – More than 130 people arrested at pro-Palestinian protest at UMass

Editor’s note: This story will be updated.

AMHERST – More than 130 people were arrested on the University of Massachusetts campus Tuesday evening after those who set up a pro-Palestinian camp on the fraternity’s South Lawn refused to take down tents and other parts of the site and failed to comply stopped with police eviction notices, according to UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, UMass police reported that 109 people had been charged with various charges and about 25 additional people had criminal charges pending.

The number of arrests is more than double the 57 protesters who were taken into custody at the Whitmore Administration Building last fall after they refused to leave the building when it was closed.

The arrests came after Chancellor Javier Reyes said there were many ways to dismantle the camp without arrests. Those avenues included conversations between Reyes and protest representatives, as well as a message from the UMass Demonstration Response and Safety Team.

Stephen Karam, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, issued a statement expressing his board’s “full and unwavering support for Chancellor Javier Reyes.”

“We have absolute confidence in his leadership, integrity and commitment to our students,” Karam said.

An earlier message from Reyes said: “The protesters rejected our offers for further civil dialogue to bridge our differences and refused to disperse their camp. We told protesters that failure to remove the tents and barriers could lead to arrests, but that is not the outcome we were hoping for.”

“Let me be clear: involving law enforcement is the absolute last resort.”

During his conversation with protest representatives, a range of demands were discussed, ranging from financial divestment to the status of students’ civil court cases following the Whitmore arrests in October 2023. Reyes informed them that all violations had been reduced to civil penalties and that clarification on the status of these civil cases was being sought.

One of those arrested was Hampshire College student Henry Morgan, who was at the camp to write an independent news article and was wearing a press pass.

“When I tried to document the way police responded to a peaceful protest, I gained a lot more experience with repression,” Morgan said, noting that the state trooper who arrested him said it the charge was disorderly conduct. He was then taken to the Mullins Center on a PVTA bus and held in flexible handcuffs along with other detainees.

Although it wasn’t a pleasant experience, Morgan said he made the most of it by singing songs. “I enjoyed the togetherness and the camaraderie, even though I was repressed,” Morgan said.

Morgan also expressed his appreciation for Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, with whom he recently spoke about the campus protests, noting that her advocacy included no use of force by police, including pepper spray.

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, issued a statement expressing concern about the arrests and use of armed police on the UMass campus.

“While other campuses across the country have engaged protesters in productive dialogue, we are deeply concerned that University of Massachusetts Amherst leaders have chosen to invite armed police officers into a protest environment on campus,” Rose said. “Reports that police may have attempted to shield their activities from the press and legal observers raise additional concerns about press freedom and transparency, which are essential to accountability.

“Last night in Amherst and events on campuses across the country made it clear that when universities choose to involve police in non-violent demonstrations, it increases tensions and creates unacceptable safety risks for all students, faculty and community members. Campus administrators have an obligation to ensure the safety of students on campus; At the same time, they must take all necessary measures to protect students’ right to protest. Calling heavily armed police on students’ political statements is an inherently dangerous decision.

“As protests continue, including at Harvard and MIT, the ACLU continues to call on campus officials and police to show restraint and engage in dialogue and other nonviolent approaches – not violence.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at [email protected].