This morning dozens of Washington University students are suspended after
Israel Hamas anti war protests spread to the Saint Louis
area over the past weekend.
Washington University confirms this police force arrested 100 people 5
twos.
Laura Simon is live from the school and has all
of the details.
Blair, good morning to you.
Good morning, everyone. The university confirming nearly two dozen of
those people arrested were students here at Washoe,
and we are also finding out they've been temporarily suspended.
Among the other people campus police arrested,
including some activists as well as faculty members.
This was all in protest at the ongoing war in
Gaza.
We want to show you some video from over the
weekend when this protest began erupting here on campus.
Our partners at the Post dispatch obtaining letters sent out
to be arrested student protesters informing them they've been temporarily
suspended for taking part in the protest.
This all happening right ahead of spring finals to these
notices.
Say, quote, effective immediately, you are no longer permitted on
campus.
According to the group Resist Wash You,
those students had just hours to move out of student
housing.
Green Party candidate for President Jill Stein was also among
the people arrested on Saturday,
and she said on News Nation that she plans to
go to the ER and have a doctor look at
injuries that she says she sustained while being arrested.
We were asked by students to come and participate and
to stand with them as police
really threatened them. There. In that picture,
you actually see us standing with some of the Alderman
of Saint Louis who are also taking the play.
The part of the students and their right to protest,
their right to discuss and debate a very critical issue
in American foreign policy right now.
And their right, you know,
of free speech. So we were there and basically the
police charged us,
despite our efforts to, you know,
to de escalate. They charged us with bicycles.
And you'll see, You'll see plenty of footage of that
around the Internet.
Saint Louis Board of Alderman President Megan Green and Alderwoman
Alicia Sonia taking part in these protests over the weekend
to the group Faculty for Justice in Palestine at Washi
rebuked the university's actions, saying they are horrified by the
violent use of force use against protesters.
The university releasing a statement explaining their actions on Saturday
night.
It reads. When the group began to set up a
camp in violation of university policy,
we made the decision to tell everyone present that they
needed to leave.
We arrested around 100 individuals who refused to leave after
being asked multiple times.
This number includes 23 Wash U students and four university
employees.
All face charges of trespassing,
and some may also be charged with a resisting arrest
and assault,
including four injuries to three police officers who sustained injuries
including a severe concussion,
a broken finger and a groin injury.
They went on to say the university is firmly committed
to free expression and they were enforcing campus policy.
Reporting live here at Washington University this morning.
I'm Laura Simon.