Anti-Israel Yale agitators refuse meeting with university trustees before police bust dozens of occupiers
Dozens of anti-Israel agitators who gathered at Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza demanding divestment from weapon manufacturers turned down a chance to meet with school trustees and the chairperson of the campus’ investor responsibility committee on Sunday before they were arrested in a Monday morning raid, according to a university official. Yale authorities spent the weekend attempting to negotiate with the group to no avail.
"The university also spent several hours in discussion with student protesters yesterday, offering them the opportunity to meet with trustees, including the chair of the Corporation Committee on Investor Responsibility (CCIR), and to avoid arrest if they left the plaza by the end of the weekend," a Yale University spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "They declined this offer and continued to occupy the plaza."
According to the university's website, the board of trustees had a pre-planned meeting scheduled for Saturday.
But the agitators made their demands without meeting the board, the spokesperson said.
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Campus police returned to the park Monday morning and some of the agitators dispersed voluntarily, the spokesperson said. However, they arrested 47 students who continued to refuse to leave around 6:30 a.m.
"Students who were arrested also will be referred for Yale disciplinary action, which includes a range of sanctions, such as reprimand, probation, or suspension," the spokesperson said. "The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the Plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community."
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The refusal to meet with university officials prompted some onlookers to question the motive behind the demonstrations.
"The campus went above and beyond to meet and accommodate them. By them refusing, that tells you all you need to know about their agenda," said David Gelman, a New Jersey attorney and former prosecutor.
"They really are just trying to disrupt campus because they are entitled and have literally no clue what they are even protesting."
Police from the city of New Haven said they were assisting their campus counterparts but said they had no plans to arrest "non-violent protesters."
"Approximately 45 people refused to leave and were charged by Yale officers with Criminal Trespass in the 1st Degree, a misdemeanor," New Haven police said in a statement. "They were transported to a Yale Police facility where they were processed and released."
By 8 a.m., an estimated 200 demonstrators returned to the intersection of Grove and College streets, police said. The protest was ongoing as of early afternoon.
Peaceful protests are protected by the First Amendment. However, if demonstrators cross the line, police have the authority to shut things down, legal experts say.
One Jewish student said an agitator poked her in the eye with a Palestinian flag pole, prompting police to call an ambulance for her.
"This is a perfect example as they had no permit to protest and are interrupting campus activities and causing damage and fear," Gelman said. "They didn’t occupy, they threatened. Which is not free speech."
According to the university website, tuition and other costs for the 2024 to 2025 academic school year add up to $87,150.
Anti-Israel demonstrators have been swarming some of the country's top university campuses in recent days in response to the Israeli military action in Gaza after Hamas terrorists launched an attack in October, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostages.