Police on Thursday broke up a pro-Palestinian Arab encampment at Wayne State University in Detroit, arresting at least 12 people, The Associated Press reported.
Police in riot gear removed fencing and broke down tents that were erected last week on green space near the undergraduate library at the university.
President Kimberly Andrews Espy cited health and safety concerns and disruptions to campus operations. Staff were encouraged to work remotely this week, and in-person summer classes were suspended.
“No individual or group is permitted to claim campus property for their own use and deny others access to that property,” Espy said, according to AP.
The camp, she added, “created an environment of exclusion — one in which some members of our campus community felt unwelcome and unable to fully participate in campus life.”
As the Wayne State camp was cleared, at least 12 people were arrested for trespassing or other offenses, including one for assaulting a police officer, spokesperson Matt Lockwood said.
Pro-Palestinian Arab encampents have been set up at campuses across the US in recent weeks, as protests against the war in Gaza intensify.
Some of the anti-Israel encampments at universities have been taken down by police officers, while others have been cleared voluntarily following agreements with the administrations.
Last week, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor broke up such an encampment after 30 days.
Later, the Los Angeles Police Department removed a pro-Palestinian Arab encampment at the University of Southern California, pushing several dozen people out of the campus gates.
At Harvard University, the anti–Israel protesters voluntarily took down their tents after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment.