20 Brown University Students Arrested During Anti-Israel Protest Calling for Divestment and Ceasefire
Students from the group BrownU Jews for Ceasefire Now conducted a five-hour sit-in demanding Brown University divest from firms doing business with Israel; they were arrested for trespassing after refusing to depart the premises after regular operating hours.
- The student group, BrownU Jews for Ceasefire Now, a division of Brown University's Jewish student community, staged a five-hour sit-in demanding the school divest from companies doing business with Israel in response to the ongoing Gaza crisis.
- They further advocated for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and sought a commitment from Brown University's President, Christina Paxson, to publicly support these aims.
- The protest culminated in the arrest of about 20 students who remained in the university building past regular operation hours, despite security warnings and the potential for charges of trespassing.
- The arrested students, who viewed their cause as ethically justified, were released without bail and are scheduled to appear in court on November 28.
- Despite pressure from students and over 160 faculty members calling for a ceasefire, the university maintains a neutral stance in regard to geopolitical conflicts and continues to uphold existing investment practices.