AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): US media reports suggest police have rounded up more than 1,500 students and academic staff in less than 15 days since the beginning of pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests on American university campuses.
According to IRNA reporter, police crackdown and arrest continue as students in many universities have defied the warning and go ahead with their sit-ins and encampments.
According to CNN's investigation based on university and police statements, more than 400 protesters were arrested on Tuesday alone, about 300 of them at Columbia University and City College of New York.
CNN also estimated that more than 1,500 people have been arrested on American college and university campuses since April 18.
Police have been accused of using brute force to dismantle protest camps or disperse the demonstrators, with many videos being viral on social media showing police brutalities against peaceful protesters.
According to IRNA, American authorities and police defended their actions in a press conference on Wednesday local time after suppressing student protests and making arrests, especially at Columbia University.
New York Police Patrol Chief John Chell said that approximately 300 people were arrested inside and outside the Columbia University building which was taken over by angry students on Monday night.
Support for the people of Gaza and protests against the policies of the US President Joe Biden's government in all-out support for the Israeli regime started under the name of "Gaza Solidarity Movement" at Columbia University and its spread to other campuses across the country.
The use of violence and police tactic to confront and suppress increasingly peaceful gatherings and protests of American students have once again exposed the US narrative about the principle of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Such violent repressions are considered in line with Washington’s policy for Israel's killings and war crimes and to encourage the regime to continue its genocide in Gaza.
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