The number of detainees during protests at American universities has risen to 1,700

United States – The Washington Post reported that the number of detainees during protests at universities across the country had risen to 1,700.

Confrontations continue between pro-Palestine demonstrators and police on campuses across the United States, a day following New York police stormed the Columbia University building occupied by demonstrators and arrested regarding 300 people at Columbia and the City College of New York.

Police arrested 15 demonstrators at Fordham University and 34 at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, including faculty members.

By midday, most of those arrested from the University of Wisconsin had been released without charges, but four people were booked on charges ranging from resisting arrest to battery on a police officer, according to a news release from UW-Madison Police.

Samer Al-Atout, a sociology professor who described himself as of Palestinian descent and an advisor to the student justice group Students for Palestine, said he and other faculty members attended the demonstration to protect the students’ right to protest without intimidation or threats of violence.

Al-Atout added: “Knowing that the students would be exposed to the violence of the riot police officer, I came here with other people to prevent any violence by the police once morest the students.”

Al-Atout appears in a video clip trying to prevent the police officer from arresting the students. During a stampede between the two sides, the professor fell and was injured, and was also arrested.

The Hanover Police Department in New Hampshire confirmed late Wednesday that law enforcement officials had made arrests at Dartmouth College, without officially announcing the number of arrests.

Police at the University of Texas at Dallas also evacuated the camp set up on Wednesday morning, and charged 17 demonstrators with criminal trespass.

The City University of New York said it was surveying damage to two buildings and college grounds, where New York Police Department officers arrested at least 173 protesters Tuesday night.

A New York Police official said that several city police officers descended on an indoor camp at Fordham University on Wednesday followingnoon and arrested pro-Palestine demonstrators who refused to leave.

Source: “Washington Post” + RT