Police in the US state of Georgia are under scrutiny after using what some are calling excessive force to disperse protesters at a pro-Palestine demonstration held at Emory University in Atlanta. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, involved the arrest of 28 individuals, including economics professor Caroline Fohlin, and has ignited fresh debates about police response to protests across the nation.
The confrontation at Emory University is just one among many recent clashes between police and protesters voicing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Similar demonstrations have taken place at prominent universities nationwide, such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, where tensions reached a boiling point last week with over 100 arrests.
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In a video shared by CNN, Professor Fohlin can be seen attempting to intervene as police officers arrest a protester on the ground. Despite her inquiries, she is forcefully pushed to the ground by an officer, who proceeds to handcuff her with zip-ties while another officer holds her down.
"I am a professor," Fohlin repeats, but her pleas go unheeded as officers continue to restrain her. The footage captures a display of force as one officer kneels on her back while applying the restraints.
Professor Noelle McAfee, chair of the university's philosophy department, was also taken into custody. A separate video circulating on social media captures McAfee's arrest as she requests that her department be informed of her detainment.
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Following the incident, organizers of the Emory University protests condemned the police actions, labeling them as "an overt act of terrorism." They hold the Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Police Department, and Emory Police Department accountable for the violence that transpired.
The demonstrators remain steadfast in their demands, calling for Emory University to divest entirely from programs supporting what they term "Israeli apartheid." Additionally, they demand an end to police brutality and the immediate release of all activists detained.
Beyond Emory University, protests and subsequent arrests have been reported at Indiana University, where 33 demonstrators were arrested after refusing to dismantle encampment structures despite police warnings.
In a separate incident, a photographer for Fox 7 in Austin, Texas, identified as Carlos, was arrested under contentious circumstances. He alleges that he was unjustly targeted by police, stating, "I was just covering things and they were pushing me. I told them I am from the press. I was hitting nobody."
With nearly 550 arrests tallied by Reuters in the past week alone, tensions continue to escalate across university campuses and beyond.
