Over 100 arrests made at UMass pro-Palestinian encampment

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AMHERST, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Police arrested over 100 protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UMass Amherst.

The protesters resurgence came just one week after the group voluntarily dismantled their last encampment after school officials told the group they would face arrests if they didn't follow orders. On Tuesday night, law enforcement got involved and took several protesters away in handcuffs.

Last night, a human chain of students and faculty also barricaded the encampment outside the Student Union. The group, like thousands from around the country, demanded that their university divest from military groups with ties to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. At UMass, they're also asking for the university to drop civil charges against students tied to an October sit-in related to the war.

However, UMass isn't the only college to see protesters taken away in handcuffs. Police have arrested more than 2,000 protesters at similar pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses in recent weeks.

Before state and university police got involved, the university met with some of the protesters to see if they could reach a resolution, but that did not happen. UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes told us in a statement that was released last night:

UMass Amherst spokesperson Ed Blaguszewski told Western Mass News that approximately 130 people were arrested on Tuesday after they "refused to dismantle an unauthorized encampment on campus and did not comply with dispersal orders from police." He noted that more information on the charges will be forthcoming.

Western Mass News will continue to follow this story and will have more information as it becomes available.