Chaos ensued as Georgia police officers took several people into custody during a pro-Hamas protest at Emory University. Many students were arrested as Atlanta Police officers and Georgia State troopers wrestled the demonstrators to the ground.
One demonstrator was seen being tasered. A video captured several students being sprayed with tear gas. Some witnesses reported rubber bullets being fired at the protesters. Police pinned protesters to the ground and restrained them with zip ties. A female protester was carried away by officers as she sang and screamed.
Extremely disturbing footage. Atlanta cops tasing a restrained student protester at Emory university minutes ago.
— Read Let This Radicalize You (@JoshuaPHilll) April 25, 2024
Students set up a Gaza solidarity encampment on the lawn of the school’s quad.
They were also protesting Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’, according to local reports. Protesters demand “total institutional divestment from Israeli apartheid and Cop City at all Atlanta colleges and universities,’ according to Fox 5.”
One video showed many students handcuffed with zip ties as they sat next to a police transport vehicle on campus.
As people were apprehended by police, other protestors were heard chanting ‘Let them go! Let them go!’
Armed officers lined up in front of the cheering crowd and tried to get them to move.
The chair of Emory University’s philosophy department, Noëlle McAfee, was seen being escorted off campus by an officer after she was handcuffed at the demonstration.
Here is the woman who identifies herself as the chair of Emory’s philosophy department as she is being led away by police:
WATCH: Among those arrested today were Noelle McAfee, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Emory University.
I’ve asked for a comment from Emory on this arrest, no word yet.
This video provided to us by an #Emory PHD student. You can hear him in this video. @ATLNewsFirst pic.twitter.com/86aJgb7NUX
— Patrick Quinn (@PatrickQuinnTV) April 25, 2024
Georgia is a battleground state but it is run by a Republican governor. It seems to me that these pro-Hamas protesters will find that red states will handle the demonstrations differently than those in big blue states.
These do not appear to be mostly peaceful protesters. Reports are that they are not Emory students but outside agitators.
Police in Atlanta detain student, zip tie their hands and hold them down as huge mob of angry students scream “Shame” at the officers at Emory University.
Earlier, protesters turned violent as they attacked police and refused to disperse.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 25, 2024
It didn’t take long for racism and George Floyd to enter the chat. Ugh.
Atlanta police brutally attack Emory students on who are exercising their constitutional right to free speech.
Tasing a restrained black student! This is George Floyd on steroids.#BLM #Emory #IsraeliWarCrimes #ColumbiaUniversity pic.twitter.com/kjoK7u3z8r
— Peter 🇵🇸 🇫🇷 🔻 (@SirClouseau) April 25, 2024
The taser incident seems to have been particularly triggering to the useful idiots of Hamas.
‘This was a non-violent movement, you guys interrupted us,’ a protestor said to the cops.
A white and black banner was seen hanging from a tent that said: ‘DEFEND THE FOREST STOP COP CITY.’
Along the bottom of the banner it said: ‘END POLICE MILITARIZATION.’
One of the arrested students was arrested was heard asking someone if they can try and find her phone while a male protester next to her managed to raise a sign that read ‘Victory to the Palestine resistance.
The university president issued a brief statement. A reporter also weighed in.
In a statement, Gregory L. Fenves, the president of the university said: Early this morning, several dozen protesters entered our Atlanta campus and set up an encampment on the Quad.’
‘These individuals are largely not affiliated with Emory and were disrupting the university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals. This is completely unacceptable.’
Patrick Quinn, a reporter at ATL News First said that he counted ‘at least 15 people arrested’, including students, Emory University professors and non-students.
Everyone seems to be in agreement that outside agitators created the chaos. “Non-students” are likely a part of all the campus protests, taking advantage of the opportunity presented during this time of unrest.