Two faculty members at New York University (NYU) were arrested on Thursday during a demonstration on campus where pro-Palestinian supporters were demanding that the university divest from companies profiting from the Israeli war on Gaza, according to the university’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine chapter.
The arrests occurred during a sit-in at NYU, where students were nonviolently blocking access to the Bobst Library. According to the American Association of University Professors, the professors were not involved in the protest itself but were there to ensure the safety of the student demonstrators.
At Thursday’s protest, students were calling on the university to divest from Israeli companies profiting off of the “oppression of, and violence against, Palestinian people”.
A total of eight people were arrested during the protest. Video circulating on social media showed one of the faculty members, sociologist Andrew Ross, being arrested and taken away by New York Police Department officers.
NYPD arrested NYU faculty member Andrew Ross, arrests continuing https://t.co/BxXL5hz6sN pic.twitter.com/npglCfRF6V
— Linda Luu (@lndaluu) December 12, 2024
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on
Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Three NYU faculty members – two of whom were arrested during the protest – were made aware that they had been declared personae non gratae (PNG) by the school’s security. This move makes them unable to enter any university buildings, including their own classrooms.
“The faculty were told that the PNG order came from the Office of the Provost, Gigi Dopico, who later verbally confirmed the PNG status but said she had ‘no details’ on the reasons for it except that it was a ‘security issue’,” the NYU Faculty for Justice in Palestine said in a statement on Thursday.
Middle East Eye reached out to NYU for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) condemned the arrests, saying they were part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestine activities at universities.
Renewed crackdown on free speech aims to overwhelm US student protests
Read More »
“This crackdown on NYU faculty is part of a distressing pattern of repression of pro-Palestinian speech on college campuses,” Todd Wolfson, president of the AAUP, said in a statement.
“The AAUP condemns this practice and we will fight to defend academic freedom and the right of faculty, students, and staff to peacefully assemble on campuses across the country.”
Since the Israeli war on Gaza began in October 2023, university students have been some of the leading proponents of pro-Palestinian actions calling for an end to the war.
Earlier this year, student encampments were set up by students across dozens of schools, with their demands being that universities divest financial interests in companies profiting from the war on Gaza.
Those protests were met with widespread crackdowns from university administrations working in tandem with police.
Legal advisors and student activists have told MEE that they fear the current campus climate, coupled with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump in January, could lead to even greater reprisals for students and faculty simply engaging in pro-Palestinian or anti-war rhetoric.
The arrests come weeks after the FBI raided the home of two Palestinian-American students at George Mason University, who were leaders of the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
