Arrested UMass protesters discuss concerns about upcoming school year

(WGGB/WSHM) – Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested in connection with a May encampment on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus are now sharing details about what the next school year might look like, as tensions between school administrators and protesting students have yet to subside.

(Reporter: Just raise your hand…when you return to campus in the fall, are you concerned about reprisals from UMass officials?)

Hands were raised as concerns grew about what the fall semester might bring for UMass Amherst. Just a few months ago, over a hundred protesters were “evicted” from their makeshift camp and taken away by police, and now many are facing parallel punishments: charges in court and consequences on campus.

“I still want to push the university to reduce its investment and keep police off campus, but I’m also afraid to show up at protests because it’s not entirely clear how UMass would respond,” said protester Annie McGrew.

Student protesters demanding that the university disclose and divest from corporate dealings linked to the Gaza crisis are now returning to class with criticism of their conduct – a problem that is likely to be even greater for those facing punishment.

“The procedures that were much more punitive and traumatic for the students were the student conduct codes,” said a UMass faculty adviser. “I shadowed a student last week and they are withholding degrees from students, students who have graduated and need those degrees to get a job.”

The extent of the trauma was evident throughout Wednesday’s press conference, with Western Mass News receiving new details from arrested protesters about how they spent the night in police custody.

“Those detained overnight at the Mullins Center report that police tied them up with zip ties to the point of physical injury and denied them restroom access for hours,” McGrew noted.

Despite this trauma, the transition to the new school year is proceeding quickly and protesters promise that they will not stop putting pressure on the university to improve.

“I can’t talk about concrete plans. I can say that the conditions that made us protest in the first place still exist,” said protester Eric Ross.

“I want to reiterate that the struggle for the liberation of Palestine is not over,” added protester Diana Sierra.

It is important to note that these legal consequences are still uncertain. Some protesters have already accepted the Northwest District Attorney’s offer to have their charges dropped if they complete the adult diversion program. It is unclear how many people will take up the offer. More numbers are expected in September.

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