George Washington University students are continuing their fifth day of pro-Palestinian protests and encampments Monday as police barricades were breached late Sunday night into Monday morning.
According to a statement from the university , protesters from an encampment adjacent to the campus “breached and dismantled” the barriers used to secure University Yard early Monday morning. The group included nearly 200 protesters from across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
“This is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest," the statement read. "The university will use every avenue available to ensure those involved are held accountable for their actions.”
The statement also cleared up confusion about an alleged student arrest. According to the release, a student who breached the barricade was escorted off of campus by university police and was not arrested.
Late Sunday night, protesters began breaching police barricades. According to the student newspaper, the GW Hatchet , the barricades fell at around 11:30 p.m., and nearly all were knocked down by 11:45 p.m. Students began piling the barricades on top of each other and flying a Palestinian flag on top of them.
At around 12:45 a.m. Monday, Provost Chris Bracey, who previously entered to speak with protest organizers, left the encampment. Following the meeting, Bracey issued a statement.
“This vigor and breadth of dialogue about important issues is a hallmark of the GW experience and essential to our university’s ability to foster social and intellectual growth,” the statement read. “Free expression and activism, however, are not unlimited.”
When he attempted to return to the encampment, he was physically barred by a protester's body but did reenter before leaving. He was escorted by a George Washington University Police Department officer.
“This is your biggest nightmare,” a protester told him.
“You think I’m afraid of this?” Bracey replied before walking into a campus building.
According to the Washington Post, university officials requested the Metropolitan Police Department to clear the encampment on Friday, but MPD rejected the request due to concerns about the “optics” of clearing the small group of “peaceful” protesters. The university reaffirmed Friday that the protesters who remained in University Yard were trespassing.
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Monday’s protest will be the hottest day of the encampment so far, with temperatures in Washington expected to reach 90 degrees at around 4 p.m.
Bracey issued an email Monday morning, stating that classes will resume and that the campus is open as usual under “enhanced safety measures.” Final exams are set to begin on Saturday.
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