The Envoy

Students continue to protest after police arrested over 170 protestors from the CUNY Gaza solidarity encampment at City College.

Several demonstrations have happened at Hunter College since the police raided the encampment. Recently, a letter defending students accused of violating the Code of Conduct during one of the protests on campus has gained over 300 signatures. The protestors are mainly demanding the charges be dropped, the school divests from corporations funding Israel, and a return to tuition-free admissions.

When students at Columbia were arrested for occupying a building, they were charged with trespassing, but when CUNY students were arrested for occupying a building, they were charged with burglary. Some of the protestors have called it discrimination against a community with more lower-income students of color. 

One of the people charged with trespassing at City College was the student president of Hunter College, Bashir Juwara. 

“No students deserve this much force and brutality by NYPD, and the fact that they were called by our own chancellor is really really disappointing,” said Juwara in a post to social media the next morning. 

The CUNY administration said the arrests were in response to acts of vandalism, property damage, a fire, and a “break-in.”

“Tonight’s actions were taken in response to specific and repeated acts of violence and vandalism, not in response to peaceful protests,” said a statement from CUNY that was released hours after the arrests.

Annabelle Underwood reports on the recent protests sparked across CUNY campuses, including a May 14 demonstration at the CUNY Graduate Center, in support of the “Free Palestine” movement.

This story was also posted on The Hunter College Athenian.