BOSTON, MA – Early Thursday morning, a pro-Palestinian protest at Emerson College resulted in the arrest of over 100 individuals and injuries to four police officers. The demonstration was part of a series of similar protests at Massachusetts colleges, demonstrating solidarity with pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Columbia University in New York earlier this week.
The protesters had set up an encampment in Boylston Place Alley, off Boylston Street. Around 1 a.m., an announcement was made that anyone remaining in the alley would be arrested. Shortly after, Boston police officers, many in protective gear, emerged from the Massachusetts Transportation Building and began dispersing the crowd.
Witnesses reported seeing students being forcibly removed and arrested. Some described the scene as disturbing, with people being dragged to the ground and arrested. Boston Police Department spokesman Sgt. John Boyle confirmed that 108 people were arrested and are expected to face arraignment in Boston Municipal Court.
In the wake of the incident, Emerson College canceled classes for Thursday. Boylston Place Alley, where the protest occurred, is not exclusively owned by Emerson College and serves as a fire alley with public right-of-way requirements for access to non-Emerson buildings, including the State Transportation Center.
The protesters were calling for college officials to support a ceasefire in Gaza and divest from companies and institutions that support Israel. This incident follows a similar setup of a pro-Palestinian protest at Harvard Yard. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has urged campus administrators and law enforcement to exercise restraint when dealing with student demonstrations and encampments.