On April 25, 2024, police used force and pepper spray to disperse a group of students, faculty, and other community members who who were participating in a pro-Palestinian encampment at Emory University. Police arrested 28 individuals, including at least 15 students and a tenured professor.
Around 7:30 in the morning on April 25, dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters established an encampment on the Emory University quad to protest Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and to demand that the administration divest from companies that profit from Israeli military action. The group was also protesting against the construction of a new public safety training facility in Atlanta. Photos and videos posted on social media show the encampment was peaceful, with students and faculty sitting near tents, sharing food and water, and chanting, prior to the police mobilization.
Shortly thereafter, the Emory Police Department (EPD) warned protestors that they were trespassing on private property and instructed them to disperse immediately. Around 8:30 am, and after protesters refused to leave, the EDP requested support from the Atlanta Police Department (PD) and Georgia State Patrol to remove the protesters from the area.
After EPD’s request, Atlanta PD, state troopers, and EPD began to move in on the encampment. Police used pepper balls, a chemical irritant, and tasers to disperse the crowd. Videos show officers violently pushing people to the ground during the arrests, and using a taser to detain one of the individuals, who reportedly resisted arrest.
Separate videos also show two prominent faculty members being forcibly thrown into the concrete sidewalk, and arrested seemingly after voicing their concerns over the police’s actions. According to Emory president Gregory Fenves, some protesters threw objects at police officers and pushed officers against the glass doors of the Candler School of Theology.
In total, police arrested 28 individuals, including at least 15 students, several staff members, and a tenured Economics professor. The charges ranged from criminal trespassing to disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement officers. Most were released the following day.
After student and faculty backlash over the way police conducted the arrests, the university said it would launch an investigation “to develop recommendations to improve how that will keep our community safe,” including how the university will use external law enforcement agencies in the future.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the forcible arrest of students for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association. While university authorities have an obligation to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of students and university personnel and should endeavor to prevent disruptions that inappropriately inhibit the functioning of or access to higher education, they must do so consistent with their responsibility to ensure academic freedom and free expression on campus. The punishment of nonviolent student expression undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://decaturish.com/2024/04/at-least-15-arrested-at-emory-after-demonstration-protesting-israel-hamas-war-cop-city/
https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/columbia-usc-university-protests-04-25-24 https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/protest-underway-at-emory-university-in-support-of-palestine-stop-cop-city
https://dps.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-04-25/dps-responds-emory-university
https://www.atlantapd.org/Home/Components/News/News/5563/17
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2024/04/er_update_from_vp_elliott_25-04-2024/story.html
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/emory-university-protests-no-confidence-vote-president-arrests
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJehRqGNmZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA77YVUMyC0
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/emory-university-protest-arrest-update-bond-granted/85-044424a1-0ddc-4d67-a8fb-07f5a24d46a8
https://www.ajc.com/news/emory-student-remains-at-dekalb-jail-following-protests-records-show/AXRW4TFOUFDPBOZ62WCOTJMDEM/