Northeastern University students held a pro-Palestinian rally on their Boston campus Saturday morning that resulted in approximately 100 people being detained by the police.
The school claimed in a statement after the protest that some protestors who were not students used antisemitic language.
“What began as a student demonstration two days ago, was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” the university wrote in a post to X. “Last night, the use of virulent anti-Semitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews,’ crossed the line. We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus.”
Despite the school’s claim, numerous students and other faculty members were among the roughly 100 people detained.
The university added that all of those who were holding a valid Northeastern ID were later released by the authorities. Those who declined to give their affiliation were reportedly arrested.
Huskies for a Free Palestine (HFP), the leading student organization that planned the demonstration, released a statement saying the administration was creating “false narratives” around the event, claiming the school was using the antisemitic phrase as justification for the detainments.
One video posted online after the protests, appears to show an individual holding an Israeli flag, making the antisemitic statement the university flagged.
Other videos posted by HFP show students chanting: “Free, free Palestine” and “Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest,” in addition to students clashing with police on riot gear.
Students who were detained by law enforcement could face internal disciplinary action but would not face legal action, the university said.
Similar pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Arizona State and Indiana University also took place Saturday, and led to roughly 100 additional arrests by local police at the respective colleges.