Laura Simon and Joey Schneider
24 minutes ago
ST. LOUIS – Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was among more than 100 people arrested during a protest on the University of Washington campus Saturday.
The University of Washington confirmed Sunday that police arrested 100 people on campus Saturday night in connection with protests that erupted over the war in Gaza. Students, teachers, and activists were among those arrested.
Stein told Nexstar affiliate NewsNation on Sunday that he plans to go to the emergency room to have a doctor look at the injuries he claims he sustained during the arrest.
“We were asked by our students to come and participate and stand with them,” Stein said in a virtual interview with NewsNation. “In fact, you see us supporting some of the St. Louis City Council members who are also defending students' right to protest, their right to debate. [raise attention] This is about a very important issue in current American foreign policy and the right to free speech. We were there and the police basically charged us even though we tried to de-escalate the situation. ”
St. Louis City Council President Megan Green and Councilwoman Alisha Sonnier also participated in Saturday's protest.
A group called “Palestinian School of Justice WashU'' condemned the university's actions, saying it was “horrified by the use of violent force against protesters.''
The university released a statement on Sunday regarding its response to the protests. You can read it here or below.
On Saturday, April 27, a large group of people entered the University of Washington campus with the intent of causing significant disruption to the university. The group, which included WashU students and staff as well as many individuals not affiliated with the university, marched through multiple locations on campus and set up tents to indicate they had no intention of leaving the university. . They also called for more people to come to campus and participate in the demonstrations.
It quickly became clear from the words and actions of this group that they had no good intentions on our campus and that this demonstration had the potential to get out of control and become dangerous. When a group began setting up camp in violation of university policy, we made the decision to inform everyone present that they needed to leave. They arrested 100 people who refused to leave despite repeated questions. This number includes 23 WashU students and four university employees. All could face charges of trespassing and resisting arrest and assault, including injuries to three police officers who suffered severe concussions, broken fingers and groin injuries. There is a possibility.
We are firmly committed to freedom of expression and give you ample opportunity to have your voice heard on campus. However, we expect everyone to respect our policies, and we will take swift action to fully enforce them.
