Updated April 23 at 5 p.m.
According to a statement made yesterday by the school president’s office, 60 people in total were arrested Monday morning, with 47 being students. Those arrested were loaded into the school’s shuttle buses at the intersection of Grove and College streets to be processed.
There, the demonstration continued throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The demonstration shut the road down for multiple hours, with students, faculty and community members chanting, singing and dancing.
Lumisa Bista, a student who participated in the past week of demonstrations, said that the arrests from earlier in the morning wouldn’t deter the group from continuing to protest for their demands to be met.
“Beinecke Plaza looks bare now. It looks empty and it looks soulless,” she said. Soon after arrests were made, officials stripped the plaza of signs, tents and personal belongings.
“But right across the street, there are hundreds of students who have gathered throughout the day, and sang songs and led chants… We are demanding that Yale disclose and divest its holdings from all war weapons manufacturers.”
The students said they are also demanding that the school disclose its investments to the public.
Late in the afternoon, the demonstration moved from the street to a courtyard back on campus. It continued into the evening, with speeches, and musical performances from student groups.
Water bottles and snacks were passed out to groups sitting on the grass in front of one of the school’s libraries. Some students stayed overnight, and into the next day.
Updated on April 22 at 6:45 p.m.
At least 45 students have been arrested following a weekend of occupation of Yale’s Beinecke Plaza, where students, faculty and community members had set up dozens of tents as well as tables, posters and picnic blankets.
“A lot of people have been working really hard to keep everyone safe, and when the cops showed up this morning, it felt like they came and blew that up,” said one student, who had been a safety marshal throughout the previous night. He’s being kept anonymous to ensure his safety.
“We’re watching them bring our friends out the front, one by one. And there’s a lot of emotions. People are really feeling unheard, but at the same time, we’re all here together.”
The students said the purpose of the occupation was to demand that the university divest from weapons manufacturing in connection to Israel. Both students and administrators said that attempts at negotiations had been made over the weekend, but with no agreement.
Students said they’re waiting until the school discloses their investments before agreeing to a meeting with the school’s trustees. At last night’s protest, they said they were denied public disclosure.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) said he has no problem with students at Yale protesting in support of Palestine as long as it remains peaceful.
He said he’s been in contact with Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell Higgins — who was Yale public safety’s former associate vice president.
“I talked to Ronnell Higgins, the Commissioner," Lamont told reporters on Monday afternoon. "He knows something about protests at Yale. I think he thinks it's pretty well managed, being safely conducted. People have a right to protest as long as they protest within law.”
On Monday morning, New Haven police told WSHU they would not get involved with the protests as long as they remain peaceful.
