Hudson Valley Colleges Join Pro-Palestinian Protests

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Pro-Palestine protests have come to colleges in the Hudson Valley.

On Sunday, demonstrators set up tents on the grounds of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, MidHudson News reported.

Vassar President Elizabeth Bradley sent an email to students, faculty and staff Thursday that said the original agreement to limit the demonstrations to Vassar students only had changed.

She said there were now people unaffiliated with the college who were loudly demonstrating, intimidating administrators and disturbing students.

Arrests were made Thursday night at the pro-Palestine encampment at SUNY New Paltz in Ulster County as police moved to disperse the protest.

Police moved in after student and non-student protesters had occupied an area of the campus for two days, Hudson Valley One reported.

Several students and professors at SUNY Purchase were arrested Thursday night at a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the campus.

More than 70 students and faculty were taken out of the encampment in handcuffs around 10:15 p.m., the Journal News reported.

A spokeswoman for the college said the move to clear the demonstration began after the college’s quiet hours started around 10 p.m. after officers told protesters to peacefully disperse but didn’t move.

The local demonstrations join student protests happening around the nation.

On Friday, police moved to clear an encampment at New York University at the request of school officials. That followed weeks of pro-Palestinian protests at campuses around the nation, resulting in nearly 2,200 arrests, according to the Associated Press.