Pro-Palestine protests were dismantled at New York University

The pro-Palestinian protests that have shaken university campuses in the United States in recent days began to subside this Friday after a series of police operations and a firm message from President Joe Biden to restore order. Even at New York University the authorities had to intervene.

>>> See more: New York Police enter Columbia University and arrest 300 pro-Palestinian protesters

Manhattan police clear encampment at NYU after dawnand an official posted a video on social media showing protesters leaving their tents and dispersing when ordered to do so over a loudspeaker.

The scene seemed relatively calm compared to the repressive measures at other universities in the country – and some around the world – where protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have multiplied in recent weeks.

University authorities, who have tried to balance respecting the right to protest and addressing reports of violence and hate speech, have increasingly called on police to remove protesters before end-of-year exams. and graduation ceremonies.

In the last two weeks, more than 2,200 arrests have been made throughout the United States, some during violent confrontations with police, leading to accusations of excessive force by officers.

President Joe Biden, who has faced pressure from all political sides over the war between Israel and Hamas, said Thursday that “order must prevail,” in his first comments on the protests.

“We are not an authoritarian nation where people are silenced or dissent crushed,” Biden said in a televised statement from the White House. “But we are not a lawless country either. We are a civilized society and order must prevail.”

These statements came hours after a large police contingent forcibly cleared a student camp in Los Angeles and repressed the crowd gathered in the surrounding area.

University officials They stated that more than 200 people were arrested.

On Thursday, on the opposite coast of the United States, protesters at Rutgers University in New Jersey agreed to dismantle their camp after reaching a compromise with the establishment’s hierarchies, as happened in other educational centers.

Republicans have accused Biden of being soft on what they say is anti-Semitic sentiment among protesters, while he faces opposition in his own party for his strong support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

“There should be no place on any campus, anywhere in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students”Biden said.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona echoed those words in a letter to university officials on Friday and pledged to investigate reports of acts of anti-Semitism, CNN noted.

Meanwhile, Similar student protests have emerged around the world, especially Australia, France, Mexico and Canada.

In Paris, police intervened to evict students who were staging a sit-in at Sciences Po university.

At Canada’s McGill University, campus authorities on Wednesday demanded the dismantling “without delay” of a growing student camp. However, as of Friday morning the police had yet to take action on the matter.

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