Dozens of activists clashed with police Thursday as pro-Palestinian protesters held demonstrations at Emory University.
Why it matters: The violent confrontation that erupted shortly after the protesters occupied the Emory quadrangle mirrors similar clashes that have shaken universities across the country.
Between the lines: Atlanta police have not confirmed the number of arrests.
- Reports of tear gas, tasers and rubber bullets being used by law enforcement, as well as police clashing with and detaining protesters, were posted on social media.
- The AJC reports protesters were also at Emory to demonstrate against Atlanta’s public safety training center.
What they’re saying: Several dozen protesters “trespassed” into the campus and set up tents on the area known as the Quad, Emory spokesperson Laura Diamond told Axios in a statement.
- The demonstrators “are not members of our community,” Diamond added.
- “They are activists attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals,” she said. “Emory does not tolerate vandalism or other criminal activity on campus.”
The university’s police department, with the help of the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol, ordered the protesters to leave, Diamond told Axios.
State of play: Meanwhile, another protest over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza took place Thursday at Kennesaw State University.
Zoom out: The protests at Emory happened a day after police arrested dozens of demonstrators Wednesday at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas and other universities across the country.
- Meanwhile, artist Nicole Kang Ahn said in a post on Instagram that she will not participate in an event planned for Thursday at Emory.
Go deeper: Hundreds arrested as pro-Palestinian college protests intensify
