Pro-Palestinian protests have led to crackdowns at one of the United States’ most prominent universities on the morning of April 22. Students were arrested at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, after large protests, according to the university and police.
A statement from the university noted that nearly 50 students were issued summonses after they were asked by Yale’s police department to show identification and “did not comply after multiple requests.”
As of 10 a.m., the Yale Police Department had issued the summonses to 47 students, according to the statement, referring them for Yale disciplinary action such as reprimand, probation, or suspension.
“The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community,” the university stated. “Yale provides detailed guidance on free expression, peaceable assembly, and requesting the use of on-campus outdoor spaces. Since the protest started, the university and the Yale Police Department worked to reduce the likelihood of confrontations and arrests.”
A statement provided to The Epoch Times by the New Haven Police Department said their officers responded to protests at about 6:30 a.m. on April 22 and commanded protesters to leave the property or be subject to arrest.
“Approximately 45 people refused to leave and were charged by Yale officers with Criminal Trespass in the 1st Degree, a misdemeanor,” the statement stated. “They were transported to a Yale Police facility where they were processed and released.”
The statement also noted that a group of about 200 protesters returned and blocked an intersection on campus at about 8 a.m. and that the protest was still ongoing.
Week-Long Protests
The statement notes that over the past week, protestors have advocated Yale’s separation from military weapons manufacturers at a plaza on the campus.“Over the weekend, these protests grew to include several hundred people—Yale undergraduates, graduate and professional students, and people with no Yale affiliation,” the university statement said. “Early this morning, the university again asked protestors to leave and remove their belongings. Before taking this step, the university had notified protestors numerous times that if they continued to violate Yale’s policies and instructions regarding occupying outdoor spaces, they could face law enforcement and disciplinary action, including reprimand, probation, or suspension.”
The university said that administrators met with protesters over several hours on April 21, “offering them the opportunity to meet with trustees, including the chair of the Corporation Committee on Investor Responsibility, and to avoid arrest if they left the plaza by the end of the weekend.”
The university said their offer was declined and a deadline was extended for them to accept the university’s offer, with negotiations breaking down unsuccessfully shortly before midnight.
Also on April 21, Yale President Peter Salovey wrote in a letter to members of the Yale community that the protests had grown on the campus significantly over the weekend and the university remains committed to safety and freedom of speech.
“Faculty and staff have been providing the students resources for free expression, health, and well-being, and have made clear that the university supports free speech and civil discourse,” Mr. Salovey wrote. “At the same time, we are focused intently on campus safety and maintaining university operations and the full use of university facilities, which support the work we all do to advance teaching, learning, research, and scholarship.”
He added that it was important to maintain open passages in the event of fire or emergencies and that putting up structures, defying university officials, staying in campus spaces past allowed times, and other acts violate campus policy and “create safety hazards.”
His note warned of disciplinary action on April 21, before the arrests on the morning of April 22.
Civil Discourse
The university president’s statement continued by noting that Yale community members “do not agree on everything” but that all members have a part in maintaining open and civil discourse.“As members of a university committed to learning and the search for truth, we can do no less,” he said.
“Each of us deserves to be heard and to have the chance to speak. To that end, I have listened to many members of our community in recent weeks, and I understand that some disagree with the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility’s (ACIR’s) decision to not recommend a policy of divestment from military weapons manufacturers.”
The ACIR is made up of faculty, students, staff, and alumni, and Mr. Salovey said they arrived at their decision after “hearing from student presenters and engaging in careful deliberation.”
Other Details
The Yale Daily News, the student newspaper, reported that Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell said that between 40 and 45 total protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing, a Class A misdemeanor.Mr. Campbell also told the student paper that the New Haven Police Department was assisting and in charge of the decision on what to do with additional protesters who were blocking streets on the campus.
“I commend the brave law enforcement officers who have stepped in to handle the violent anti-Jewish demonstrations at Yale,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) wrote on April 22. “Yale’s failure to protect students is outrageous and unacceptable.”
Similar arrests were made on the campus of Columbia University last week following protests and counter-protests on that campus related to the Israel–Hamas war that has been raging since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Classes at Columbia were moved virtually on April 22 amid ongoing protests after a week of contention at the New York City campus.
