Cops Use Pepper Balls and Tasers to Break Up Pro-Hamas Protests at Emory University, Arrest Some Faculty Members | Blaze Media

Pro-Hamas protests at Emory University lead to arrests of 28 activists, including professors, with videos showing clashes with law enforcement.

The recent pro-Hamas protests that have been spreading across college campuses nationwide have now made their way to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Reports indicate that over 100 activists gathered on campus, leading to the arrest of at least 28 protesters by local law enforcement.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety stated that the Emory Police Department would be responsible for issuing any charges, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department in dispersing the protest. Videos shared online depicted the chaotic scenes, showing law enforcement officers using tasers and pepper balls to control the crowd.

The protesters, wielding large signs, pushed and threw objects at the police officers, resulting in a tense confrontation. Among those detained were Caroline Fohlin, a professor at the university, who vehemently protested her arrest, and Noëlle McAfee, the Philosophy Department Chair and president-elect of the Emory University Senate.

In one video, James Hoesterey, an assistant professor of religion, was seen tearing down caution tape and engaging in heated exchanges with pro-Israel students. The situation escalated as law enforcement officers resorted to using pepper balls to disperse the crowd, leading to allegations of rubber bullets being fired at students.

Emory University released a statement condemning the actions of the protesters, labeling them as activists attempting to disrupt the campus during a critical academic period. Despite the morning arrests, some protesters returned to the campus later in the evening, congregating at the Candler School of Theology building.

The demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans, were met with a firm response from the Emory Police Department. Commander Thomas Manns emphasized the lack of peaceful behavior among the protesters, while the state patrol clarified that pepper balls, not tear gas, were used to control the unruly crowd.

Overall, the incident at Emory University highlights the tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges faced by universities in managing protests that escalate into confrontations with law enforcement.

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