DC police clear out GWU pro-Palestinian encampment, 33 protesters arrested

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3. Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp and arrest 33 at DC campus as mayor's hearing is cancele

U.S. NEWS
Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp and arrest 33 at DC campus as mayor’s hearing is canceled

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BY ASHRAF KHALIL
Updated 12:42 PM EDT, May 8, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police using pepper spray cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested dozens of demonstrators on Wednesday just as city officials were set to appear before hostile lawmakers in Congress to account for their handling of the 2-week-old protest.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability canceled the hearing after the crackdown, with its chairman and other Republicans welcoming the police action. House Speaker Mike Johnson said “it should not require threatening to haul D.C.’s mayor before Congress to keep Jewish students at George Washington University safe.”

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said she and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith decided to clear the camp based on shifting information about increased threats. “Our response to demonstrations is always rooted in public safety and responsibility,” the mayor said.

Smith said there were signs “the protest was becoming more volatile and less stable.” Among them were indications that protesters had “gathered improvised weapons” and were “casing” university buildings with the possible intention of occupying them, said Jeffery Carroll, the police department’s executive assistant chief. Bowser and Smith had been called to testify to the panel before the afternoon hearing was pulled.

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