It is the latest in a series of clashes on US university campuses sparked by protests against Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Police took action after some protesters resorted to “vicious anti-Semitic slurs such as ‘Kill the Jews'” and “crossed the line,” Northeastern University said in a statement posted on the X social network.
Protests against Israel’s war with Hamas began at Columbia University this month and have since spread to universities across the country.
They have become a major challenge for university administrators, who are trying to strike a balance between universities’ commitments to freedom of expression and complaints that such rallies have crossed the line into anti-Semitism and hate speech.
Police have detained a number of people on university campuses in recent days and have sometimes even used chemical irritants and electric shocks to disperse demonstrators.
Northeastern University said in a statement that campus police, backed by local law enforcement officials, arrived Saturday to clear out “unsanctioned encampments” on campus.
“What began as a student demonstration two days ago has been infiltrated by professional organizers not affiliated with Northeastern University in any way,” the university noted.
The university added that those detained after presenting a valid university student ID have been released and will face disciplinary action rather than legal action.
“Those who refused to reveal where they study or work were arrested,” the university added.
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