A group of 13 people were arrested at Princeton University on Monday night while participating in a Gaza protest on campus, Christopher Eisgruber, the university’s president, said in a statement.
The protest, which took place at Clio Hall, was one of several that have been held on the campus in the past week. Tensions have been building as students, faculty and staff have been calling on the university to divest its investments from firms profiting from the Israel-Hamas war.
The 13 protesters had occupied Clio Hall in what Eisgruber called “completely unacceptable” and “a serious breach of this University’s code of conduct.”
The protesters included five undergraduate students, six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher and one person not affiliated with the university. In the statement, which was sent to students and staff on Monday evening, the president did not identify anyone arrested.
They were all issued summonses for trespassing and have been barred from campus. Those who are students will also face university discipline, which could include suspension or expulsion, the president said.
“Everyone on this campus needs to feel safe and to be safe,” Eisgruber said in the message. “Faculty, students, and staff must be able to conduct University business without disruption, harassment, or threat.”
No injuries were reported during the incident, the university said.
This comes after two students were arrested on Thursday for ignoring the university Department of Public Safety’s demands to stop setting up tents on campus during a pro-Palestinian protest. Those students were also issued summonses for trespassing and have been barred from the university’s grounds.
In his statement, the president said that most of the Gaza protests have been civil.
“I am proud that the vast majority of the people on this campus — students, faculty, and staff — have proven themselves able to engage constructively and civilly on even very divisive topics,” he said. “Thank you for looking out for one another, treating each other with respect and care, and embodying Princeton’s values during this difficult time.”
Protesters have also been stationed at the university’s McCosh Courtyard. On Monday, about 100 students at Rutgers University were also participating in demonstrations at the university’s Voorhees Mall, located on the College Avenue campus in New Brunswick.
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
