A far-left group at the University of Washington postponed an anti-Israel encampment Thursday due to an alleged lack of diversity.
The Progressive Student Union, who organized the protest, said in an Instagram post how they want an encampment that better represents their “unity” with Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students. The protest was initially set to begin Thursday at 8 a.m.
“We want to make sure this encampment is a better reflection of the UW community, and having even greater unity with Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students. We want to be part of a much larger coalition of groups and make no mistake, WE WILL HAVE A UW ENCAMPMENT!” the organization said.
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Anti-Israel demonstrations have taken over college campuses across the U.S. since they first began at Columbia University in mid-April. Police have arrested over 400 demonstrators nationwide since April 18 as they have built encampments and chanted antisemitic slurs. (RELATED: Police Seen Overwhelmed By Pro-Palestine Protesters At Emory University)
The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested 113 people earlier in the week as they clashed with the protesters at Columbia University, and the number of arrests has continued to rise, according to ABC News 7. Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik ordered classes to be virtual on Monday and heightened its security controls around Morningside Heights.
Rabbi Elie Buechler, who is associated with Columbia’s Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, told Jake Tapper he sent a WhatsApp message to around 300 primarily Orthodox Jewish students “strongly” suggesting they leave campus, CNN reported.
Students on other prominent campuses have emulated Columbia University students, leading to several more arrests and clashes with law enforcement. pro-Palestinian group called “Occupy Beinecke” at Yale University created a 24-tent encampment on the university’s campus to show solidarity with their Columbia University counterparts, leading to dozens of arrests for criminal trespass.
Police arrested both students and faculty Thursday at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where police said they were immediately met with violence upon arrival to the campus. The Atlanta Police Department confirmed the use of chemical irritants but disputed reports of rubber bullet usage.
At least 50 protesters were arrested at the University of Texas at Austin during the Wednesday protest where they landed in a standoff with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers and the Austin Police Department (APD). A protester reportedly threw poop at law enforcement, and a crowd claimed the APD and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are the same as the Ku Klux Klan.
President Joe Biden condemned the “blatant antisemitism” that has led many Jewish students to flee campuses for their personal safety.
“The ancient story of persecution against Jews in the Haggadah also reminds us that we must speak out against the alarming surge of Antisemitism — in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity. Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews,” the president’s statement read.
“This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country,” Biden continued.