At least 47 were arrested during pro-Palestine protest at Yale University

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - At least 47 people were arrested on Monday morning during a pro-Palestine protest at Yale university, according to a report.

At least 350 protesters, forming a circle and blocking the intersection of College and Grove Streets, urged the university to divest from military weapons manufacturers, Yale Daily news reported.

The demonstrators reportedly chanted slogans such as "disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest," "We will free Palestine within our lifetime" and "Books not bombs."

Protesters also sang "from Yale to Columbia, we shall not be moved," according to the report.

"The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the Plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community," a university spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Citing New Haven police spokesman Christian Bruckhart, Washington Post reported that the protesters who were arrested were released as of 10 am local time and coalesced at College and Grove streets, where New Haven police were blocking traffic to ensure their safety.

The police spokesman added that most, if not all, of the protesters "appeared to be university students".

The protest came after 100 students were arrested on Thursday after Columbia University authorized the New York Police Department to empty an encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, which sparked solidarity protests in other US universities, including Yale.

US House Representative Ilhan Omar's daughter, Isra Hirsi, was among the protesters who were arrested at Columbia University.

"I took this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances," Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik explained in an email Thursday afternoon.

The Columbia president later announced that all classes will be held virtually on Monday, when Passover begins.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday released a statement regarding the Jewish holiday of Passover, in which he denounced antisemitism on college campuses.

"Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country," Biden said.

"My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community," he added.