WASHINGTON (AP) — Police used pepper spray to clear a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested dozens of demonstrators on Wednesday just as city officials were set to appear before hostile lawmakers in Congress to account for their handling of the 2-week-old protest.
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability canceled the hearing after the crackdown, with its chairman and other Republicans welcoming the police action. House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “it should not require threatening to haul D.C.’s mayor before Congress to keep Jewish students at George Washington University safe.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Police used pepper spray to clear a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested dozens of demonstrators on Wednesday just as city officials were set to appear before hostile lawmakers in Congress to account for their handling of the 2-week-old protest.
Pro-Palestinian supporters gather outside Harris County Jail after two people were arrested following a pro-Palestinian encampment on University of Houston campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The George Washington University yard is seen cleaned after workers carried away students tents after police cleared the encampment as they were protesting over the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
George Washington University student Miriam who was arrested this morning at the encampament accompanied by Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accompanied by George Washington University students speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accompanied by George Washington University students speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., gives a hug to a George Washington University student who was arrested at the encampment this morning after she spoke during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., holds a photograph of a statue of George Washington defaced with graffiti and covered with a Palestinian flag by protesters at George Washington University, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
George Mason University professor Bassam Haddad accompanied led by other faculty and staff members speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
George Mason University professor Bassam Haddad speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Protestors opposed to the war between Israel and Hamas hold signs as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives for a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Members of law enforcement form a line Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters are confronted by members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
A person uses a mobile device to record members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement form a line, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement place people in handcuffs, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters, left, stand in front of members of law enforcement early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters are confronted by members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at a tent encampment on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement place a person in handcuffs, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
American University professor Barbara Wien speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
GW associate professor Peter Calloway speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
People holding a banner attend a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
A George Washington University student speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., left, talks after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Demonstrators clash with the Metropolitan Police Department officers at George Washington University, early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested demonstrators early Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the school’s president. (Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP)
Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department pepper spray demonstrators at George Washington University, early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested demonstrators early Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the school’s president. (Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
In this image taken from video, protestors against the Israel-Hamas war stand outside near the campus of George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe, nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. (WJLA via AP)
In this grab taken from video, protestors protesting the Israel-Hamas war stand outside near the campus of George Washington University, in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe, nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. (WJLA via AP)
Police block pro-Palestinian protesters from returning to their encampment as the encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Pro-Palestinian protesters chat as police kept them away from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A police officer stands guard blocking pro-Palestinian protesters from returning to their encampment as the encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Placards lay on the ground outside an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design that has been partially taken over by students and supporters, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. The activists are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Pro-Palestinian protesters push back as University of Chicago police officers reposition a barricade keeping protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Activists attach a rolled placard to keffiyeh scarves tied together to form a line as they prepare to hoist the banner through an upper floor window to protesters occupying a portion of the building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. The activists are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A small group of University of Southern Mississippi students and activists hold Pro-Palestinian signs protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the school's campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
BJ Brumley, left, and fellow University of Southern Mississippi student Vinny Halsey, hold Pro-Palestinian signs protesting the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the school's campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The group of almost 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Young Muslim girls take part in a prayer service near the University California, Irvine pro-Palestinian encampment on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Irvine, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP)
Rhode Island School of Design students and supporters gather near a Palestinian flag, left, outside a building at RISD, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
An activist wearing a keffiyeh pauses at an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Pro-Palestinian protesters support the positions held by others as University of Chicago police officers reposition a barricade keeping protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Pro-Palestinian protesters lock arms and clasp their hands as a University of Chicago police officer holds onto a barricade while officers kept protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A pro-Palestinian protester leads chants at the university's police as they are kept from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A pro-Palestinian protester rests her head on her clasped hands while she stands before University of Chicago police officers while officers kept protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Ramon Nacanaynay of Long Beach, Miss., holds a sign calling for a ceasefire of the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the University of Southern Mississippi campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The group of almost 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
An Israeli flag, top, flies Tuesday, May 7, 2024, near an encampment of tents, behind left, on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, in Cambridge, Mass., set up by MIT students and supporters to protest what they said was the school's failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to cut ties to Israel's military. The Israeli flags were put in place following the establishment of the tent encampment that was built to demand that MIT condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
An activist uses keffiyeh scarves tied together to hoist a banner through an upper floor window of a Rhode Island School of Design building they have partially taken over Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at RISD, in Providence, R.I. The students and supporters are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A passer-by, right, uses a mobile device to record a barrier with placards at an pro-Palestinian encampment of tents on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Students at MIT set up the encampment to protest what they said was MIT's failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to cut ties to Israel's military. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A passer-by walks past an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A giant American flag is unfurled on Lisner Hall on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, Friday, May 3, 2024, as demonstrators protest the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said she and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith decided to clear the camp because of signs that “the protest was becoming more volatile and less stable.” Among them were indications that protesters had “gathered improvised weapons” and were “casing” university buildings with the possible intention of occupying them, police said.
But Moataz Salim, a Palestinian student at George Washington who has family in Gaza, said the authorities merely “destroyed a beautiful community space that was all about love.”
“Less than 10 hours ago, I was pepper sprayed and assaulted by police," he told a news conference held by organizers. “And why? Because we decided to pitch some tents, hold community activities and learn from each other. We built something incredible. We built something game-changing.”
Tensions have ratcheted up in standoffs with protesters of the Israel-Hamas war on campuses across the United States and increasingly in Europe. Some colleges cracked down immediately. Others have tolerated the demonstrations. Some have begun to lose patience and call in the police over concerns about disruptions to campus life and safety.
Police also moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the University of Massachusetts. Video from the scene in Amherst showed an hourslong operation as dozens of officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The operation continued into early Wednesday. Police said about 130 people were arrested after protesters refused orders to disperse.
“I found it to be a complete overreaction,” said Lucas Ruud, editor-in-chief of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. “It was a completely unnecessary show of force.” The staff of the college newspaper counted more than 100 police vehicles on campus for the crackdown.
In Washington, police said they arrested 33 people at the George Washington protest, including for assault on a police officer and unlawful entry. They confirmed they used pepper spray outside the encampment against protesters who were trying to break police lines and enter.
Two Democratic lawmakers appeared at a news conference with five of the students who had been arrested. “I want all Republicans and Democrats to know that they cannot arrest their way out of this growing dissent," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. “This was an explicit attempt to repress students exercising their First Amendment rights.”
Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said that "those who refuse to stop the genocide in Gaza think they can arrest and brutalize their way out of this.”
The school said in a statement that while it is committed to free expression, "the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations." It said later that normal operations had resumed after the "orderly and safe operation" to disperse the demonstrators.
President Joe Biden's press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said the president believes the right to dissent is "fundamental to who we are, but it cannot lead to disorder and violence, threats, vandalism, trespassing and/or shutting down campuses. Students have the right to be safe, and antisemitism is repugnant, and we’ve been very clear about that.”
Throughout the roughly two weeks of the encampment, the scene had been largely tranquil.
The tightly organized demonstrators and pro-Israeli counterprotesters who stood along the edges interacted without serious conflict. Some of the most charged confrontations involved people objecting to the treatment of a George Washington statue, wrapped with Palestinian scarves and flags with “Genocidal Warmonger University” spray-painted on its base.
Since April 18, about 2,800 people have been arrested on 50 campuses — figures based on Associated Press reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies after this latest anti-war movement was launched by a protest at Columbia University in New York.
At other U.S. schools:
— Student protesters at the University of Vermont ended their nine-day encampment Wednesday. Among their demands, protesters wanted the school to cancel Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as commencement speaker because of U.S. votes blocking cease-fire resolutions. The school said Friday that Thomas-Greenfield would not give the address.
— A pro-Palestinian tent encampment was cleared by officers in riot gear at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after administrators who initially adopted a permissive approach said the protesters had crossed a line. Hundreds of protesters had gathered for at least eight days until administrators warned them Friday to leave or face removal.
— The president of Wesleyan University, a liberal arts school in Connecticut, commended the on-campus demonstration, which includes a pro-Palestinian tent encampment, as an act of political expression. The camp there has grown from about 20 tents a week ago to more than 100. “The protesters’ cause is important — bringing attention to the killing of innocent people,” university President Michael Roth wrote to the campus community. “And we continue to make space for them to do so, as long as that space is not disruptive to campus operations.”
— The Rhode Island School of Design’s president, Crystal Williams, spent more than five hours with protesters discussing their demands after students started occupying a building Monday. On Tuesday the school announced it was relocating classes from the building.
— New York City police arrested 50 people outside the Fashion Institute of Technology on Tuesday evening after protesters who had been rallying nearby arrived to support a student encampment.
In Amherst, school Chancellor Javier Reyes said he ordered the sweep after talks over a wide range of demands failed to yield an agreement to dismantle the encampment and engage in “constructive discussions.”
A week ago, the George Washington encampment was host to a somewhat chaotic visit from several Republican members of the House oversight panel who criticized the protests and condemned Bowser’s refusal at that point to send in police.
“We did not have any violence to interrupt on the GW campus,” she said then.
But in the early hours of Wednesday, hundreds of Metropolitan Police Department officers descended on the scene, reported The GW Hatchet, the university's student newspaper.
At least two officers deployed pepper spray on protesters, who then set up an impromptu medical area at a nearby market, the paper said. Organizers ran to a convenience store to buy water to rinse their eyes.
The oversight hearing, now scrapped, was another pressure point in the fraught relationship between Republicans in Congress and officials in the heavily Democratic district. Former President Donald Trump has threatened a federal "takeover” of the city, to control crime, if he wins back the White House.
The district is already a federal enclave, though with a measure of self-government and its own police department, over which the federal government can exert control in some emergencies.
Associated Press journalists around the U.S. and the world contributed, including Charles Rex Arbogast, Pat Eaton-Robb, Steve LeBlanc, Jeff Amy, Christopher Weber, Mike Corder, Barbara Surk, Rick Callahan, Sarah Brumfield and Pietro de Cristofaro.
Pro-Palestinian supporters gather outside Harris County Jail after two people were arrested following a pro-Palestinian encampment on University of Houston campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Pro-Palestinian supporters gather outside Harris County Jail after two people were arrested following a pro-Palestinian encampment on University of Houston campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The George Washington University yard is seen cleaned after workers carried away students tents after police cleared the encampment as they were protesting over the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
George Washington University student Miriam who was arrested this morning at the encampament accompanied by Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accompanied by George Washington University students speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accompanied by George Washington University students speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., gives a hug to a George Washington University student who was arrested at the encampment this morning after she spoke during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., holds a photograph of a statue of George Washington defaced with graffiti and covered with a Palestinian flag by protesters at George Washington University, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
George Mason University professor Bassam Haddad accompanied led by other faculty and staff members speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
George Mason University professor Bassam Haddad speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Protestors opposed to the war between Israel and Hamas hold signs as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives for a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Members of law enforcement form a line Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters are confronted by members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
A person uses a mobile device to record members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement form a line, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement place people in handcuffs, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters, left, stand in front of members of law enforcement early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Students and supporters are confronted by members of law enforcement, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at a tent encampment on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school, in what appeared in video to be a hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
Members of law enforcement place a person in handcuffs, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, in Amherst, Mass. Police moved in Tuesday night to break up an encampment at the school in what appeared in video to be an hours-long operation as dozens of police officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The protesters established the tent encampment to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. (Kalinka Kornacki via AP)
American University professor Barbara Wien speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
GW associate professor Peter Calloway speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
People holding a banner attend a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
A George Washington University student speaks during a news conference after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., left, talks after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Demonstrators clash with the Metropolitan Police Department officers at George Washington University, early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested demonstrators early Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the school’s president. (Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP)
Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department pepper spray demonstrators at George Washington University, early Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested demonstrators early Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the school’s president. (Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Workers carry student tents to a dump truck after police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
In this image taken from video, protestors against the Israel-Hamas war stand outside near the campus of George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe, nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. (WJLA via AP)
In this grab taken from video, protestors protesting the Israel-Hamas war stand outside near the campus of George Washington University, in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe, nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. (WJLA via AP)
Police block pro-Palestinian protesters from returning to their encampment as the encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Pro-Palestinian protesters chat as police kept them away from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A police officer stands guard blocking pro-Palestinian protesters from returning to their encampment as the encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Placards lay on the ground outside an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design that has been partially taken over by students and supporters, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. The activists are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Pro-Palestinian protesters push back as University of Chicago police officers reposition a barricade keeping protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Activists attach a rolled placard to keffiyeh scarves tied together to form a line as they prepare to hoist the banner through an upper floor window to protesters occupying a portion of the building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. The activists are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A small group of University of Southern Mississippi students and activists hold Pro-Palestinian signs protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the school's campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
BJ Brumley, left, and fellow University of Southern Mississippi student Vinny Halsey, hold Pro-Palestinian signs protesting the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the school's campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The group of almost 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Young Muslim girls take part in a prayer service near the University California, Irvine pro-Palestinian encampment on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Irvine, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP)
Rhode Island School of Design students and supporters gather near a Palestinian flag, left, outside a building at RISD, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
An activist wearing a keffiyeh pauses at an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Pro-Palestinian protesters support the positions held by others as University of Chicago police officers reposition a barricade keeping protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Pro-Palestinian protesters lock arms and clasp their hands as a University of Chicago police officer holds onto a barricade while officers kept protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A pro-Palestinian protester leads chants at the university's police as they are kept from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled at the University of Chicago, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A pro-Palestinian protester rests her head on her clasped hands while she stands before University of Chicago police officers while officers kept protesters from the university's quad while the student encampment is dismantled Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Ramon Nacanaynay of Long Beach, Miss., holds a sign calling for a ceasefire of the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the University of Southern Mississippi campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The group of almost 50 demonstrators drew no counter protesters or hecklers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
An Israeli flag, top, flies Tuesday, May 7, 2024, near an encampment of tents, behind left, on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, in Cambridge, Mass., set up by MIT students and supporters to protest what they said was the school's failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to cut ties to Israel's military. The Israeli flags were put in place following the establishment of the tent encampment that was built to demand that MIT condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
An activist uses keffiyeh scarves tied together to hoist a banner through an upper floor window of a Rhode Island School of Design building they have partially taken over Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at RISD, in Providence, R.I. The students and supporters are demanding that RISD condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A passer-by, right, uses a mobile device to record a barrier with placards at an pro-Palestinian encampment of tents on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Students at MIT set up the encampment to protest what they said was MIT's failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to cut ties to Israel's military. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A passer-by walks past an entrance to a building at Rhode Island School of Design, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Providence, R.I. Student activists and supporters, who have taken over a portion of the building, are demanding that the school condemn Israel's war effort in Gaza, and that the school divest from investments that benefit Israel. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A giant American flag is unfurled on Lisner Hall on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, Friday, May 3, 2024, as demonstrators protest the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
