Pepper spray used on Gaza war protesters at US university, 33 arrested

At least 33 people were arrested as the police cleared out an unauthorised pro-Palestine protest site at George Washington University in the US. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC used pepper spray to disperse the protesters who had been inside the encampment since April 25.

As a result of the incident, House Republicans had to cancel a scheduled testimony on Wednesday of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department and Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela A Smith at Congress on the response to the encampment.

The police confirmed that they used pepper spray outside the encampment against protesters who were trying to break police lines and enter. A police officer was also assaulted in the violence.

The university said that it was yet to ascertain if all the arrested individuals were students or, in any way, affiliated to the school.

Since mid-April, more than 2,400 people have been arrested at universities and colleges across the US in the wake of the ongoing protests against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

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