The University of Arizona (UA) reportedly called police to clear protesters and disperse the anti-Israel encampment that formed on its Tucson campus, with authorities arresting demonstrators and clearing their debris just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday.
University President Robert Robbins reportedly told police to “immediately enforce campus use policies and all corresponding laws without further warning” early on Wednesday morning, resulting in what Arizona’s Family described as multiple arrests “by authorities in riot gear” before the camp was cleared.
Though it remains unclear how many protesters were arrested, the outlet reported “there were about 70 protesters inside the encampment and around 300 supporters outside the police line” prior to the police action.
Ellie Wolfe, a higher education reporter for Arizona’s Daily Star, reported on the social media platform X that Robbins ordered police to end the protest at 2:02 a.m.
PROTESTERS AND POLICE CLASH, ORDERED BY UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PRESIDENT ROBERT C ROBBINS pic.twitter.com/5M2NBQcGJP
— Ellie Wolfe (@elliew0lfe) May 1, 2024
Wolfe later reported that demonstrators ultimately retreated from the encampment as officers followed them, and the tents were completely cleared by 2:50 a.m.
Video that surfaced an hour earlier showed police attempting to gain access to the anti-Israel encampment, while other clips show police firing rubber projectiles and using other crowd control measures to rein in the demonstrators and disperse their camp.
BREAKING:
Tucson police are attempting to get into the pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Arizona. pic.twitter.com/LJ5PUEDfFj— Nurse Lioness (@CardioFixer) May 1, 2024
The university has yet to publish how many of its students were arrested during the police action, but it was reported on social media that at least four UA students were among those taken away by police.
University of Arizona students were met with rubber bullets, chemical munitions, pepper ball guns, and batons after an overnight protest blocking roads was deemed an unlawful protest. This comes after a student was recently shot and killed outside a party last weekend.
There… pic.twitter.com/KuTuDulHzL
— Carter Hughes (@itscarterhughes) May 1, 2024
Robbins previously announced in April that he will step down from his role at the university when his contract expires in 2026 after months of questions about the $177 million deficit UA accrued under his watch.
The anti-Israel encampment at UA was cleared just days after police arrested more than 70 protesters on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus in Tempe last weekend.
Police action to remove the ASU encampment resulted in the arrest of 72 protesters. The university confirmed that 15 of those arrested are current ASU students.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Police at the University of Arizona Gaza Protest” by Nurse Lioness.
