Healey comfortable with police response at protests

BOSTON, Mass. (SHNS)–Gov. Maura Healey voiced her support Friday for how police were deployed to clear recent pro-Palestinian encampments at Northeastern University and Emerson College, part of a national wave of protests and subsequent student arrests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.

Healey, asked during a radio interview whether she was comfortable with how police were used at the two colleges, offered a one-word reply, “yes.” The answer drew jeers from some people in the audience for the live radio broadcast from UMass Boston.

The governor did not delve into any specific details about the protests on GBH’s Boston Public Radio, though the overnight police raid at Emerson last week has drawn scrutiny over some violent clashes between students and law enforcement.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has said she made the decision with Police Commissioner Michael Cox to clear the public alleyway at Emerson, a move that resulted in more than 100 arrests, according to The Boston Globe .

“Because we are committed to our students’ right to protest, Emerson made every possible effort to avoid confrontation between the police and the protesters at the encampment,” Emerson President Jay Bernhardt wrote in a message to students. “Prior to the law enforcement action, the College advocated with the City and Boston Police Department for several days to delay the removal of the encampment. When it became clear the City intended to clear the tents from the alley, we actively encouraged the protestors to remove them to prevent arrest. We also strongly and directly advocated for the police to peacefully remove tents without making arrests.”

At Northeastern, campus and State Police cleared another pro-Palestinian encampment on Saturday, following reports of antisemitic jeers. Nearly 100 protesters were arrested, the Globe reported . Protestors deny that they were behind the antisemetic slurs, though the university cited the incident as the reason they cleared the encampment.

Healey was pressed to weigh in on the war in Gaza, as well as contentious protests in which students are seeking to cut university ties to Israel, during her regular “Ask the Governor” segment Friday afternoon.

“Anyone with a heart sees the grief, sees the agony, sees the devastation and feels for those who have been killed in Gaza, those who have been killed in Israel,” Healey said. “It is incredibly agonizing and upsetting. It’s also the case that we as a country, we as a people, and as a community, and I as your governor am committed — as I was as head of the civil rights division and your attorney general — to fighting antisemitism, to fighting Islamophobia, to fighting racism, hatred, bigotry in all forms.”

Some 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’s invasion on Oct. 7, and about 250 people were taken hostage into Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have since been killed in the ongoing conflict.

Healey’s comments came after an audience member claimed she had a question about child care and education, but then asked the governor why she was “protecting the funding of genocide over the wellbeing of students in the commonwealth.” Radio host Jim Braude scolded the woman for lying to GBH staff about the nature of her question, and Healey initially responded by discussing her administration’s investment in child care, including her push for universal preschool.

Healey, later pressed by Braude to comment on the college protests and the situation in Gaza, sought to draw a distinction between protests and violence.

“We have a right to protest in this country, including on college campuses. It is also the case that there is a difference between protest and violence, and threats of violence and disruption of students’ access to safe education,” the governor said. “It’s important that we engage in a civil way and debate and have discourse and discussion in this country about policies — that’s really important, that’s who we are as Americans.”

Healey added, “It’s also the case that some of what we are witnessing does not represent that, does not reflect that.”

Healey spoke about praying for peace, as well as for a “greater understanding and greater dialogue.”

She expressed her support for a ceasefire when asked whether President Joe Biden should have put conditions on funding military equipment for Israel. Hamas has rejected multiple ceasefire proposals from Israel, which is seeking the return of hostages still in Gaza.

“I think the president has been clear on calling for a ceasefire — something that I support,” Healey said. “I think it’s also clear that we should continue to support Israel with that funding.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.