Police started to break up a pro-Palestinian camp at George Washington University’s campus early Wednesday morning, which caused the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to announce the cancellation of a scheduled hearing on the Washington, D.C.’s government response to the protests.
According to the student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, hundreds of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers came to H Street to clear out University Yard, where students began protesting on April 25.
Police issued a statement Wednesday stating that officers have worked to use “non-arrest methods to deescalate tensions” to ensure the safety of the students, but there has been a gradual increase “in the volatility of the protest.”
Videos posted online depict students protesting outside university President Ellen Granberg’s home in D.C. MPD said it worked with GW administration and campus police to disperse the demonstrators from campus and surrounding streets.
“During the course of the operation, arrests were made for Assault on a Police Officer and Unlawful Entry,” MPD’s statement said. “MPD will continue to be supportive of universities or other private entities who need assistance.”
The police activity follows a Sunday letter from Granberg to local D.C. officials asking for their help to increase police presence around the demonstrations. Students denounced Granberg’s alleged refusal to meet with organizers about their demands, the Hatchet reported.
During the clearing Wednesday, at least two officers used pepper spray on protesters, the Hatchet reported. Video posted online shows protesters being sprayed and moving away from officers.
The Hill has reached out to the university for comment. GW said in a statement reported by The Associated Press that it is committed to protecting students’ right to free expression, but the “encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday in a hearing focused on the pro-Palestinian protests at GW. The hearing follows a visit to the protests by members of the committee.
The GW protests mimic those happening on college campuses across the country. More than 2,000 arrests have occurred since demonstrators began asking their universities to divest from Israeli companies or companies that supply Israel with weapons.
