Pro-Palestine protester arrested for encampment near Idaho Capitol in latest escalation

Idaho State Police arrested an adult woman in Boise on Friday evening on suspicion of resisting or obstructing officers as pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued near the Idaho Capitol.

According to ISP spokesman Aaron Snell, state police ordered protesters to clear the lawn next to the Capitol “for maintenance purposes” by Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Around 9:45 p.m., some protesters who had called for an immediate ceasefire had still not left when police returned and tents, tables and food were confiscated, Snell said in a text message to the Idaho Statesman on Saturday.

The arrested woman initially refused to identify herself to police, Snell said. Boise police were called to assist ISP and “provided street support” near the former courthouse downtown, Boise Police spokeswoman Haley Kramer said in a Saturday email to the Statesman. Boise police have not made any arrests, she said.

According to jail records, the protester was booked into the Ada County Jail on a charge of resisting officers. She was no longer in custody on Saturday afternoon.

Friday’s arrest represents the latest escalation in state and local efforts to contain some anti-war protests near the Capitol in Boise over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Local demonstrations took place in November after Hamas militants attacked Israeli border towns near the Gaza Strip on October 7. The surprise invasion resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli civilians and an Israeli military response that lasted seven months. Local health authorities in the Gaza Strip reported that more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to the Associated Press.

Protesters in Boise first set up camp on the grounds near the Capitol last week. There have been clashes with police in recent days, including over the tearing down of “symbolic tents,” the Statesman previously reported.

On Thursday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little warned of increased measures to redirect demonstrations in the state capital that violate state law.

“My administration is committed to enforcing the law and protecting our Capitol and the public from the dangers of illegal encampments. “Idaho is not Portland, LA, San Francisco or Seattle, where officials tolerate unsafe and destructive public camping,” Little said in a statement. “Idaho values ​​and protects our First Amendment right to free speech – whether popular or unpopular – but I will oppose any group’s efforts to establish encampments that damage federal property, create health and safety risks, and interfere with other forms of public access, don’t tolerate.

“I am grateful for the quick and consistent efforts of the Idaho State Police and the Department of Administration,” he added.