Achinthya Sivalingam, an Indian-origin student, has been arrested and barred from Princeton University in the US due to her participation in unauthorized pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus. Along with another student, Hassan Sayed, she was apprehended for trespassing and “immediately barred from the campus.” The arrest reportedly involved the use of zip ties around their wrists.
Sivalingam, originally from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and raised in Columbus, Ohio, was apprehended on Thursday alongside fellow student Hassan Sayed. The Princeton Alumni Weekly reported this development, citing a document from the protest organizers that identified both individuals.
Despite warnings from authorities, student protesters established tents in Princeton University’s McCosh Courtyard on Thursday morning, as reported by the Princeton Alumni Weekly.
Shortly after their arrest, the two students dismantled their tents, yet persisted in their sit-in demonstration. The initial crowd of approximately 110 people swelled to around 300 by Thursday afternoon.
According to Princeton University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill, the two graduate students were apprehended after receiving multiple warnings from the Department of Public Safety to discontinue their activities and vacate the area.
As a result, they have been promptly banned from campus, pending a disciplinary review. Additionally, the remaining tents within the encampment zone were voluntarily dismantled by the protesters.
According to the spokesperson, Public Safety officers made the arrests without using force, and there was no resistance.
Max Weiss, an associate professor of history at Princeton University, praised the courage and commitment of the brave Princeton students who risked their bodies, privilege, and safety in solidarity with Palestinians facing unimaginable violence.
The protest on Thursday was part of a planned series of demonstrations at Princeton University, organized by campus groups such as the Princeton Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the Princeton Palestine Liberation Coalition, and Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest (PIAD).
In a recent email to students about the pro-Palestine protests on campus, Rochelle Calhoun, Vice President for Campus Life at Princeton University, stated that any demonstrations involving occupying or blocking access to buildings, as well as establishing outdoor encampments and sleeping in campus outdoor spaces, are not allowed.
According to her email, anyone participating in an encampment, occupation, or other disruptive behavior that persists after a warning will face arrest and immediate campus exclusion. For students, this exclusion could impact their ability to finish the semester.
In addition, community members would be subject to disciplinary procedures, which could result in student suspension, diploma delays, or even expulsion.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have escalated at prominent universities throughout the United States, including Ivy League institutions such as Harvard and Yale. Last week, over 100 individuals were arrested during protests at Columbia University in New York.
Over the past week, approximately 550 arrests have occurred, as reported by Reuters. On Thursday, a total of 61 protesters were taken into custody: 28 at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and 33 at Indiana University.
Students participating in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, which serves as the epicenter of the demonstrations, are persistently continuing their activism.
They demand that the prestigious institution sever its connections with Israeli academic institutions and divest its funds from entities associated with Israel.
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