Shreveport Student Witnesses Palestinian Protests Firsthand
Emerson College Shaken by Protests
Pro-Palestinian protests have gripped college campuses nationwide, leading to ripple effects such as arrests, riots, and the cancellation of commencement ceremonies. Interestingly, Merritt Hughes, a ex-Caddo Magnet High School student, currently attending Emerson College based in Boston, had firsthand experience of these disruptive events.
Unrest Erupts at Emerson College
Merritt reported for her school paper and had to cover the protests that escalated into encampments on her campus. She disclosed that the protests started on a calm note on Sunday. However, by the following Wednesday, police presence on the campus had increased substantially. Arrests began to take place in the early hours of Thursday, April 25, creating an unsettling atmosphere for the college community.
The Night of Arrests
Reflecting on her experience, Merritt explained, “I think it was around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday morning, April 25, when arrests started happening, and they lasted until about 2:30 or 3 a.m. It was just really heavy police presence on campus. I would say there were probably about 100 cops on campus, which was just kind of jarring for everyone.”
Documenting the series of events, Merritt stated that she kept track of the number of arrested individuals. “I was keeping track of how many people were arrested. So in the 30 to 45 minutes that we were there when they were physically being led by us, I counted 37 arrested protesters. About 60 or 70 more were arrested at a different point. I think the confirmed total was 118 that were arrested that night,” Merritt commented.
Unprecedented Numbers
The total number of arrests at Emerson, a relatively smaller institution, surpassed the numbers at larger universities. The small Boston-based college with an undergraduate population of about 4,000 students witnessed a wave of unrest, the magnitude of which caught many off-guard.
The Louisiana Student’s Perspective
Merritt, originally from Louisiana, confessed that this experience marked a stark cultural shift for her. She was unused to the atmosphere of physical protests back at home where, in her view, political activities focus primarily on student petitions and corresponding reactions, which is a stark contrast to the vivid events she experienced in the Boston-based college.
Impact on Academic Activities
Merritt mentioned that the situation has drastically affected academic activities on the campus. As tensions continued to rise, the authorities decided to cancel classes for the week. While the curtailment of academic activities provided a temporary reprieve for the students, the series of turn of events was nothing less than a cultural shock for the Shreveport student.
