UConn grad student arrested during pro-Palestinian protest
STORRS — A few hundred people gathered Thursday evening at the University of Connecticut to protest the IsraelHamas war, and one graduate student was arrested after he tried to push a police officer, a university spokesperson said.
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said up to 300 people gathered for the demonstration.
“Contrary to some reports on social media, the gathering was largely peaceful. UConn police received no reports of any injuries,” she noted.
Reitz said protesters were told “that their right to assemble and demonstrate peaceably would be respected, but that they would not be able to erect tents and/or establish an encampment.”
Protesters remained at UConn on Friday morning.
While one protester went through the gathering handing out doughnuts around 11 a.m., another protester who declined to give his name said the group is demanding that the university divest itself from investing in American and Israeli military and calling for an immediate cease fire in Gaza.
The protester also said the group was planning to camp out over night, against what the school said would be allowed.
More students bearing boxes of Dunkin’ doughnuts began to arrive around noon and the number of protesters grew to about 75.
At about the same time, the police presence appeared to grow to about a dozen. A K-9 yellow Labrador was among them. Several protesters noticed their presence and one said she was ready to get arrested.
Tent protests by students have spread to colleges and universities around the country after police arrested more than 100 demonstrators at an encampment at Columbia University in New York last week. That action set off a backlash by protesters, with demonstrators quickly reestablishing the encampment, which is ongoing.
Protesters at Yale University in New Haven also set up tents over the weekend, leading university officials to demand they leave or face arrest on Monday. Dozens were arrested during the ensuing police action. Soon after police moved in early Monday,
demonstrators at Yale occupied a nearby intersection, shutting it down to traffic. The protesters later moved to a nearby green on campus, where they continued to protest this week.
At the UConn protest Thursday evening, Reitz said the graduate student was arrested “for allegedly attempting to push a police officer who was
trying to detain another individual.”
The university identified him as Alexander Kueny, 34, of Storrs. He is charged with one count interfering with an officer and was released on $500 bond. He is due to appear in Rockville Superior Court on May 7, Reitz said.
Ivelisse Correa of BLM 860 was at the UConn
protest at 9 a.m., which was quiet. There was no chanting or marching. Her Snapchat video shows students quietly sitting in lawn chairs or standing and talking. Students played music.
Correa encouraged her followers to come out and support the protesters.
“Students should have a say in how their tuition
is used. And I don’t think students want to be complicit in genocide,” Correa said.
“At least they get their money’s worth with the basketball team,” she said. “But you don’t get anything out of bombed children, homie.”