An Indian-origin student named Achinthya Sivalingam has been detained and suspended from Princeton University in the United States while awaiting a disciplinary process. This occurred because he participated in an unsanctioned pro-Palestine encampment protest organized by students on campus. The event took place amidst ongoing demonstrations at various prominent universities across the US opposing the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Sivalingam, who hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, but was brought up in Columbus, Ohio, was apprehended alongside another student, Hassan Sayed, according to a report from the Princeton Alumni Weekly, citing information from protest organizers.
The incident unfolded on Thursday morning when student protesters set up tents in the university's McCosh Courtyard, despite warnings from authorities. Both Sivalingam and Sayed were arrested shortly afterward, prompting the demonstrators to dismantle their tents while maintaining a sit-in protest.
The sit-in, which initially attracted around 110 participants, swelled to approximately 300 by Thursday afternoon.
Confirming the events of Thursday, Princeton University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill stated that the two graduate students were arrested "after repeated warnings from the Department of Public Safety to cease activity and leave the area." She added that they have been immediately barred from campus pending disciplinary proceedings and that the remaining tents in the encampment area were voluntarily removed by protesters.
Max Weiss, an associate professor of history at Princeton University, praised the actions of the students involved in the protest, emphasizing their solidarity and courage, particularly amid the current violence experienced by Palestinians.
Thursday's protest was part of a series of demonstrations organized at Princeton University by campus groups, including Princeton Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Princeton Palestine Liberation Coalition, and Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest (PIAD).
In an email addressed to students earlier in the week regarding the pro-Palestine protests on campus, Rochelle Calhoun, Vice President for Campus Life at Princeton University, stated that certain types of demonstrations, such as occupying or blocking access to buildings, establishing outdoor encampments, or sleeping in any campus outdoor space, were prohibited.
She warned that individuals involved in such activities who refused to comply after being warned would be subject to arrest and immediate exclusion from campus. Furthermore, students could face disciplinary actions, including suspension, delayed graduation, or expulsion.
Protests have intensified at major universities across the US, including Ivy League institutions like Harvard and Yale, following the arrest of over 100 people at Columbia University in New York last week. According to Reuters, nearly 550 arrests have been made in the past week alone, with 61 protesters detained on Thursday, including 28 at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and 33 at Indiana University. Meanwhile, students at Columbia University have vowed to continue their protests until the institution agrees to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions and divest from entities associated with Israel.
