Find the latest updates: Police make arrests at pro-Palestinian protest at ASU.
As the sun set Friday evening, more than 100 people stood with arms interlocked, forming a barrier to protect a group in prayer as they entered the 11th hour of protest.
A pro-Palestine encampment, led by student advocates, was set up on Arizona State University's campus in Tempe early Friday morning. The group was quickly met by police intervention as officers tore down tents and arrested three people.
About 8:45 a.m., ASU students and demonstrators filed into Alumni Lawn by the dozens, waving Palestinian flags and signs. They called for an official statement from the university condemning the violence in Gaza and divestment from companies tied to Israel.
The group quickly and quietly constructed a Gaza solidarity camp, one of many in a growing movement across the nation this week. The encampment included more than a dozen tents and shade structures. By nightfall, several tents were stocked with cases of water and food. Protesters served a late dinner to people who prepared to stay in the camp overnight.
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The first arrest had come about 9 a.m., with campus police telling protesters they were violating ARS 13-1502 , a criminal trespass statute. A person could face a misdemeanor charge for “knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully on any real property after a reasonable request to leave by a law enforcement officer.”Lt. Larry Fuchtman of ASU Police said the rule was not in place as of 1 p.m. It had been used when officers arrested protesters in the morning after he said specific requests were made for them to leave. Some Tempe police officers were seen briefly at the encampment.
The Ybarra Maldonado Law Group was seeking to represent those arrested on Friday. Attorney Ray Ybarra Maldonado told The Republic he was concerned the protesters’ First Amendment rights and right to due process were violated when police arrested demonstrators within the first 20 minutes of the protest.
The organizing group, Students Against Apartheid, began directing students and demonstrators to link arms in an attempt to avoid arrest. By 11 a.m., the police presence had grown close to 20. Leaders repeatedly called for peace among the protesters during occasional disputes.
"Do not engage," they said. "We're here for peace."
A statement from ASU released Friday evening said encampments were prohibited on campus.
"Demonstrations, protests and expressions of free speech are protected at Arizona State University, consistent with the First Amendment," the statement reads. "Peaceful expression of views is always acceptable – but demonstrations cannot disrupt university operations. ASU is committed to maintaining a secure environment for everyone."
Hundreds of students and some professors had been arrested in similar protests across many college campuses. In some cases, police forcefully pulled protesters off of encampments.
Some faculty and staff watched from nearby sidewalks as police began taking down some of the tents. ASU professor Ruben Espinosa watched the crowd as they led chants calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.“I just want to make sure the kids are safe,” he said.
Sprinklers around the protesters were turned on after the first round of arrests, leading some in the crowd to use buckets and tarps to block the flow of water. Fuchtman said police did not know who set off the sprinklers.
Protesters rebuilt the encampment after the initial arrests, and the crowd fluctuated anywhere from 100 to 250 people throughout the day.
Jamila Rahim, an ASU alum, said calls for divestment from Israel at the university are longstanding, saying she remembers pushes made while she served in undergraduate student government.
Students are on the front lines of pro-Palestinian activism, she said.
"I feel now, more than ever, we have global momentum," Rahim said.
Several pro-Israel demonstrations occurred throughout the day. For example, two students held an Israeli flag just outside the encampment.
Sophomore Hana Dolgin said the demonstration aggravated her but she was happy to see support for Israel from some passing by.
“I want to have open dialogue,” Dolgin said, adding she supported students exercising free speech.
ASU Hillel, a Jewish organization, said in a statement it still planned to host Friday night's Senior Shabbat with additional security.“We want to reassure you that we are monitoring the ongoing protest, have staff on campus, and are continuing to provide support to Jewish students,” the statement read.
A spokesperson for Gov. Katie Hobbs indicated she supported the right to protest but not the intent of many at the demonstration.
"Governor Hobbs supports the right to free speech and peaceful protest," spokesperson Christian Slater said on X. "However, she strongly opposes any calls to boycott and divest from Israel, attacks on Israel’s right to exist, demands to abolish the police, or rhetoric that supports or encourages violence."
The pro-Palestinian protesters called for university divestment from Israel and the reinstatement of MECHA de ASU, among other demands. The student group was suspended by the university after a Feb. 12 social media post that called for the deaths of certain groups.
"Death to the boer," the post read, according to a screenshot of MECHA's post shared with The Republic. "Death to the Pilgrim. Death to the zionist. Death to the settler."
In addition, the organizing group called for the immediate resignation of ASU President Michael Crow and the abolition of ASU police.
The arrests come one day after similar demonstrations broke out at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Tucson demonstration was attended by more than 200 people with limited police presence.
Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com . Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel .
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pro-Palestinian encampment at ASU heads into nightfall
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