The president of Pomona College warned pro-Hamas students that they would be arrested if they didn’t leave the hallway outside her office. And when they didn’t leave, she had them arrested.
When Pomona College students (and possibly others) rushed into an administrative building last night, President Gabi Starr told them they had 10 minutes to leave.
Then she suspended them and had them arrested.
(Warning: language) pic.twitter.com/aCaSSIsRAA
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) April 6, 2024
The students were outside the president’s office because the college tore down their ‘apartheid’ wall that they had built for a protest on Sunday.
This college president is badass.
Here’s more from the Claremont Courier
Police from at least four jurisdictions — many in riot gear — descended on Pomona College Friday and arrested 19 protesters after some had occupied President Gabrielle Starr’s office.
Claremont Police Department officer Eric Orozco said 18 were charged with misdemeanor trespassing after allegedly refusing to leave Alexander Hall. An additional protester was charged with misdemeanor delaying or obstructing a law enforcement officer after allegedly refusing to clear a path for officers. Police from Claremont, Pomona, Azusa, and La Verne were on the scene.
Starr also alleged one or more of the protesters used a racial slur at some point during the day’s events.
The protesters, who numbered more than 100, were from Claremont Colleges group Pomona Divest Apartheid, which has for months been calling on Pomona College to divest itself from entities connected to Israel’s role in the war in Gaza.
The demonstration began shortly after 1:15 p.m. when Pomona College administrators and campus safety officers began dismantling signs and art students had installed March 28 on a roughly 32 foot wide, eight panel wooden wall outside Smith Campus Center they dubbed the “apartheid wall.” Many had camped out there since.
The installation was meant to draw parallels between Israel and a wall “preventing Palestinians from returning to their native land,” according to Jessica, a student demonstrator who refused to provide her last name. “It’s been really a hub of student resistance and organizing.”
Students were alerted via email early Friday that the wall installation was being taken down in front of a campus event scheduled for Sunday, which prompted scores of protesters to make their way to the Smith Campus Center.