Protesters respond to UNC Charlotte dismantling encampment
Supporters of Israel-Hamas war protests at UNC Charlotte say they’re “disgusted” after police dismantled a pro-Palestine encampment at the college this week, resulting in one arrest.
Students, teachers and other supporters gathered outside the government center in uptown Wednesday afternoon, responding to the university’s and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police’s move to shut down the encampment. They say students have been suspended in connection with the protests.
“UNCC protest organizers have been denied a good faith conversation with university administration about their demands, and the university has, instead, leveraged its power to silence students and community members,” said Sam Poler, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish advocacy organization. “UNCC’s actions are making everyone less safe.”
Protests in Charlotte are joined by many others across the country, with participants setting up tents, making signs and occupying buildings. Police at colleges across the country have clashed frequently with protesters. Last month, police charged 36 people at UNC Chapel Hill and protesters threw water on interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and officers as they worked to put back up an American flag.
Police in Charlotte dismantled the encampment early Tuesday morning after ordering protesters to disperse. Later that evening, around 50 protesters marched through UNC Charlotte’s campus. One UNC Charlotte protester was arrested overnight and released Wednesday before being arrested a second time for returning to campus, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner WSOC-TV reported.
Organizers said the use of force by university police and CMPD in removing protesters was unwarranted.
“We are disgusted at the use of force against students,” Poler told the press. “Police threw away personal belongings and community-donated supplies from the encampment, supplies that students had planned to donate to local organizations.”