District of Columbia police defended their choice to allow the pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University (GW) to remain, even though Republican lawmakers have called for its removal.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Mayor Muriel Bowser are under scrutiny for permitting the protest at GW to persist. The encampment has been in place for over two weeks.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith stated that as long as the encampment is peaceful, it will not need to be cleared, but that may change if there is a shift in “behavior” on the private university’s campus, as reported by NBC Washington.
“I believe that here in the District of Columbia, we allow individuals the chance to express themselves, and that's what we're witnessing at the moment. There has been no violence, no aggressive behavior, no conflicts,” Smith said, as per an MPD spokesperson. “If the behavior changes, then our procedures and our process might change.”
The spokesperson also informed The Hill, “The approach Chief Smith mentioned here remains our current posture.”
Smith’s remarks come as both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations were conducted on Thursday at GW’s campus.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has called on Bowser and Smith to testify before the committee next week about the ongoing protest. Comer's request to question officials follows the report from The Washington Post which stated that D.C. police declined to clear the encampment despite the school's request.
“The House Oversight Committee is deeply concerned about reports indicating the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department rejected George Washington University’s request for help in removing the radical, antisemitic, and unlawful protestors occupying the campus and surrounding public lands,” Comer said.
Comer, along with conservative lawmakers, visited the campus, where they clashed with protesters, with some even threatening to withhold federal funding from the institution.
Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Byron Donalds (Fla.) and Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) all encountered protesters at GW and urged city officials to assist the school.
“That being said, the mayor has a responsibility to support George Washington. The encampment is now trespassing. That is what the university president and the administration has said: You are trespassing on GW. They’ve asked for support from the mayor. Mayor Bowser doesn’t want to come and support them. She needs to do her job,” Donalds said.
