Princeton student of Indian descent arrested and Barred for Anti-Israel demonstrations
The students were advocating for colleges to sever their financial connections with Israel and divest from companies they believe are supporting the lethal Gaza conflict
Achinthya Sivalingan, originally from Coimbatore,India and raised in Columbus, has been barred from Princeton University’s campus and is facing disciplinary actions, according to a university spokesperson. She, along with another student, was arrested for organizing pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus. At around 7 a.m. on Thursday, protesters set up tents in McCosh Courtyard for a student-led pro-Palestine encampment.
These students were advocating for colleges to sever their financial connections with Israel and divest from companies they believe are supporting the lethal Gaza conflict. However, some Jewish students have expressed concerns that these protests have turned into instances of antisemitism, leading them to feel fearful about entering the campus.
Ms Sivalingam is a student of Masters in Public Affairs in International Development at Princeton while Mr Sayed is a PhD candidate there.After receiving warnings from Princeton Public Safety (PSAFE) , within six minutes of setting up the first tents, the two students, Achinthya Sivalingam GS and Hassan Sayed GS, were arrested.
The university spokesperson, Jennifer Morrill stated that “The two graduate students have been immediately barred from campus, pending a disciplinary process,no force was used by Public Safety officers when conducting the arrests, which occurred without resistance.”This led the remaining protesters to dismantle their camping equipment and continue the demonstration as a sit-in, as detailed in the Princeton Alumni Weekly report. She also mentioned that setting up tents on the campus was a violation of university policy.
According to Michael Hotchkiss, another university spokesperson who confirmed to the Daily Princetonian, they have not been expelled and will still have access to their housing.
A student, who preferred to be identified as Urvi, described the arrests as “violent,” mentioning that the students were restrained with zip ties around their wrists. In contrast, the university disputed this account, stating that officers did not use any force and that the arrests were conducted without encountering any resistance. Contrary to University claims Urvi said “They’ve been evicted from their houses and were given under five minutes to get their stuff.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations have swept through leading US universities, with thousands of students taking to their campuses to protest against the casualties in Gaza caused by the Israeli military operation. Starting at Columbia University in New York, the protests have spread to colleges nationwide, where hundreds of students have engaged with law enforcement and chanted pro-Palestine slogans. The protesters are urging their universities to disinvest from companies benefiting from the Gaza conflict and are advocating for an immediate ceasefire.
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