Over 100 detained in Northeastern University for pro-Palestinian protests

BOSTON: US police have detained over 100 people at a pro-Palestinian protest, Northeastern University said on Saturday.

Boston’s Northeastern University claimed that protesters had called for violence against Jewish people. Meanwhile, Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr voiced support for pro-Palestinan rallies held at US campuses.

Read more: For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson

The event in Boston, in the northeastern US state of Massachusetts, is the latest in a series of rallies at campuses across the US. Several of those protests have been interrupted by police.

In a different protest on Thursday, 93 people were arrested for trespassing at the University of Southern California (USC). On Friday, the interim president of the University of Pennsylvania, Larry Jameson, called for an encampment of protesters on his campus to be dismantled.

What did the university say about the police action?

Boston officers took action after protesters had “crossed the line” in using “anti-Semitic slurs” including calls to kill Jewish people, the university claimed in a social media post.

“What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” the statement said.

“As part of clearing of the site, approximately 100 individuals were detained by police,” it said, adding that an “unauthorized encampment” had been cleared by authorities.

The university said that those who had identified themselves as students at the institution were not detained by police.

“Those who produced a valid Northeastern ID were released. They will face disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action.”

“Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” it stressed.

Protesters are demanding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, where at least 34,388 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Health Ministry.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas began when the militant Hamas group launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,170 people.

Iraq’s al-Sadr voices support for US student protesters

Shiite political and religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who is a vocal critic of US and Iranian involvement in Iraqi politics, expressed support for pro-Palestinian demonstrations at US campuses in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Read more: Pro-Palestine protestors disrupt German ambassador’s speech during Asma Jahangir Conference

“We call for a halt to the crackdown on voices advocating for peace and freedom,” al-Sadr said, referring to police action against pro-Palestinian demonstrations at US campuses.

His Sadrist movement has considerable influence in Iraqi politics, though the cleric himself is currently keeping out of Iraq’s political scene. Baghdad has not recognised the state of Israel.