Arrests across the country

Arrests were common across the nation in response to the protests, including the arrest of one reporter on March 26 as well as four students on March 27 during the sit-in at Vanderbilt. At 96 of the schools — about 21% of all schools with protest activity — at least one person was detained during pro-Palestine protests. The three schools with the most individuals arrested were UCLA with 279 people, Columbia University with 227 and the University of Massachusetts Amherst with 192 protestors detained.

At Emory University, 28 protestors were arrested on April 25, including two professors. Dr. Noëlle McAfee, chair of the philosophy department at Emory, was seen in a viral video being detained and asking bystanders to contact the philosophy department to inform them of her arrest. McAfee described the day as “absolutely awful” to The Hustler, due to the strong force used against student protestors. She said police officers attacked students and tore down tents the moment they reached the lawn. 

McAfee described the moment she was arrested, saying she had been standing about six feet from the lawn, calling for the police to stop, when an officer approached her.

“One of the cops — it turns out he was one of the late ones [to arrive on scene] — he stands up and steps forward at just one step. He’s still a good ways away from me, and he says, ‘Ma’am, you need to step back,’” McAfee said. “I said no, knowing that this would be an issue for him, and then he immediately arrested me.”

McAfee said she was released quickly, and she believes it would be hard for the university to take action against her due to her tenure status. She expressed frustration with the use of force by the Atlanta Police Department against students as she believes students should have the right to protest.

“I’ve made a point that I am not getting into the content of this protest. I support students’ right to — and not just right, but duty — to be involved in public affairs,” McAfee said. “I think demonstrations are an important step in a larger political process.”

Vanderbilt was one of 204 universities in which police arrived on the scene, amounting to 45% of the total schools. This included officers from campuses, city departments, national police, state troopers or the national guard. At Vanderbilt, MNPD officers detained the three arrested students on March 27 after they were escorted out by VUPD that morning along with the other 22 protesters inside. 

The anonymous VDC representative said they saw a network form between pro-Palestine protestors across the country in response to police and administrative actions. 

“I think that there is something that's really powerful and beautiful in being able to connect with other students and getting to understand different movements in history,” the representative said. “[Palestinian] protesters have been consistently advising American protesters on how to deal with police brutality, and now, students are doing the same thing and building those networks of safety and support.”