20 Pomona College students arrested after demonstration

Pro-palestinian group occupies building, refuses to obey officials' demands

Students at Pomona College occupied an administration building on Friday afternoon, refusing to obey college officials' demands that they leave during a protest in support of Palestinians. Twenty people were arrested, according to the Claremont Police Department.

The protest at Alexander Hall was organized by the studentled group Pomona Divest Apartheid. More than 150 students were participating as of late afternoon with about 50 of them on the steps of Alexander Hall or clustered around the entry and the rest on the sidewalk. They chanted and clapped along.

Among the chants: “Stop the killing, stop the slaughter, Gaza has no food or water!” and “Up, up with liberation. Down, down with occupation!”

A news release from Pomona Divest Apartheid said that roughly 18 students entered Alexander

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Hall around 4:10 p.m. in response to the college's removal of its Apartheid Wall. A statement from Claremont police said an estimated 30 to 40 protesters entered the building.

“Pomona is taking down the wall,” read an afternoon post on the group's Instagram account, @ pomonadivestapartheid. It called for others to come join the effort.

One student on scene during the late afternoon estimated that there were about 30 protesters inside the building, and dozens outside. Shortly thereafter, about 30 officers with the Claremont Police Department wearing riot gear arrived at the occupation, according to another Instagram post.

“Immediately after their arrival, the 18+ students sitting in [college President Gabrielle]