Police arrest dozens of anti-Israel protesters at Chicago Art Institute

By THE MEDIA LINE STAFF

Published: MAY 6, 2024 04:07

Updated: MAY 6, 2024 04:50

Police arrest a pro-Palestinian protester at USC campus in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 24, 2024, in this still image taken from video (photo credit: REUTERS TV) — Police arrest a pro-Palestinian protester at USC campus in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 24, 2024, in this still image taken from video

(photo credit: REUTERS TV)

Protests escalate at Chicago's Art Institute, leading to arrests. Elsewhere, University of Michigan sees peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstration during commencement.

Dozens of protesters were arrested outside the Art Institute of Chicago during a demonstration on Saturday, following a police request from the institute to clear the premises, according to the Chicago Police Department’s post on X (formerly Twitter.)

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Meanwhile, protests on other campuses did not escalate to arrests. In Ann Arbor, pro-Palestinian demonstrators temporarily interrupted a University of Michigan commencement ceremony. Videos on social media showed several students donning keffiyeh headscarves and graduation caps while waving Palestinian flags.

They marched down the Michigan Stadium’s central aisle, evoking cheers and boos from the crowd. Campus police escorted the protesters toward the stadium’s back but made no arrests, according to Colleen Mastony, a university spokesperson.

Campus peace protests

Signs are displayed in front of Deering Meadow, where an encampment of students are protesting in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois, US. April 25, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/Nate Swanson)

“Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades,” Mastony said in a statement, reaffirming the university’s commitment to free speech and expression.

Controversial reactions to Israel’s conflict in Gaza have fueled heated protests across US campuses recently, with institutions like Columbia University seeking police assistance to manage the demonstrations. Police have so far detained over 2,000 protesters nationwide.

Demonstrators are protesting Israel’s response to the October 7 attack on southern Israel, in which Hamas operatives killed around 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and took more than 250 people hostage.