Over 130 Arrested During UMass Encampment

Yesterday afternoon at around 1 p.m., hundreds of student protesters re-established an encampment on the South Lawn at UMass Amherst’s campus, demanding for divestment and for the university to drop the charges against previously arrested students. The entire encampment has since been torn down. Over 130 people, including faculty and medics, were arrested.

Negotiators from UMass groups, including its Students for Justice in Palestine and Faculty for Justice in Palestine, met with Chancellor Javier Reyes around 4:30 p.m. While they were still in this meeting, police vehicles began to arrive at the protest. Protesters linked arms to protect the encampment, and others rallied around them.

By 7:45 p.m., police in riot gear, with their names and badges concealed, had entered part of the encampment and began making arrests. Police declared an unlawful assembly and formed a wall around the encampment by 9:24 p.m. They tore down tents, pushed protesters to the pavement, and kicked them on the ground before arresting them. Police had dismantled the entire encampment by 10:51 p.m. and continued to arrest protestors. Over 100 State Police vehicles were present, and a helicopter was spotted above the UMass campus.