Dozens were arrested after protesters at UMass Amherst set up camp again

Police converged on and arrested dozens of protesters on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus Tuesday evening after students re-encamped in solidarity with Palestine.

The Daily Collegian, which followed the protest into the early hours of the morning, reported more than 64 arrests. According to the UMass Students for Justice in Palestine, those arrested included teachers. The group also released a video showing protesters being held down and held down by police.

The encampment on the campus lawn — and the police response — was similar to those at colleges across the country. It was the second time in recent weeks that UMass student protesters set up tents on campus. The previous camp ended peacefully, according to administration, but students said there were threats of arrest.

A UMass spokesman reached via text message just before 10 p.m. Tuesday said he had “no specific information on any arrests at this time” but promised an update later that night or Wednesday morning.

Earlier Tuesday evening, UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes sent an email to the entire campus saying he had met with students, promised to review their demands by various university boards and warned of arrests if they did Camp will remain.

“I asked students to help UMass Amherst create a model for how civil discourse can move forward by disbanding their camp and engaging with us in constructive discussions – rather than further confrontation and outright violations of the University policy and the law,” Reyes wrote.

Reyes wrote that the protesters refused to remove the “tents and barriers” despite efforts by university staff.

“Just moments ago, I asked the University of Massachusetts Police Department to begin dispersing the crowd and breaking up the encampment,” he wrote in the message, sent around 8 p.m. “Let me be clear: involving law enforcement is the absolute last resort.”

NEPM asked the university spokesperson whether there was a specific security threat on Tuesday evening that required the use of a “last resort.” There was no immediate response.

A group called Faculty for Justice in Palestine released a statement questioning the police’s tactics – and the chancellor’s efforts to find a solution.

“Police arrived *while* Reyes was negotiating with students – contrary to his statement, this cannot be considered a good faith negotiation,” the group wrote on Instagram.

The ACLU of Massachusetts also released a statement critical of the UMass administration’s actions.

“Last night in Amherst and events on campuses across the country made it clear that when universities choose to involve police in nonviolent demonstrations, it increases tensions and creates unacceptable safety risks for all students, faculty and community members,” said Executive Director Carol Rose said. “Campus administrators have a duty to protect 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.”

The afternoon before tensions escalated, student protester Sam Martinez said organizers want UMass to begin disclosing and divesting from investments or partnerships with gun manufacturers.

“A big thing is the abolition of war profiteering and genocide in general. A big focus has been on Raytheon because it is such a large arms supplier to Israel,” Martinez said.

Associate Professor Hoang Phan, a member of the Faculty of Justice in Palestine group, said the group’s demands were part of the broader boycott, divestment and sanctions movement aimed, among other things, at ending Israel’s war in Gaza.

“This is a peaceful nonviolence movement that is growing around the world, and you are now joining this BDS movement,” he told the crowd.

Disclosure: NEPM’s main radio signal is licensed by UMass Amherst. The newsroom operates independently.

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