UN human rights chief ‘troubled’ by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities
The UN human rights office said on Tuesday (30 April) it was “troubled” by heavy-handed actions taken by US security forces during attempts to break up Gaza protests on college campuses.
Demonstrations at universities across the country showed no sign of slowing as they spread coast-to-coast over the weekend and police crackdowns and arrests continued into another week.
Students have vowed to stay in tent encampments until their demands are met.
Their demands range from a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas to calls for universities to stop investing in Israeli enterprises involved with the country’s military.
Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the UN is “troubled by a series of heavy-handed steps taken to disperse and dismantle protests”.