NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Jewish Yale University student said she was assaulted during pro-Palestinian protests on campus and now the university is investigating.
Sahar Tartak, editor-in-chief of the Yale Free Press, said she was assaulted Saturday night while covering demonstrations on the campus in New Haven, Connecticut.
Tartak believes she was targeted for wearing Jewish attire.
“I wear a Star of David necklace,” she said. “One of them taunted me by waving a Palestinian flag in my face and jabbed me with it in the eye.”
Yale police said in a statement, “The university does not tolerate violence, threats, harassment or intimidation of members of our community, and is providing support to a student who made the report,” and that they are investigating.
Tartak said she reported the assault.
Dozens arrested at Yale protests
Police made dozens of arrests on the campus Monday as students protest in solidarity with those at Columbia University.
Chisato Kimura, a Yale Law student, said she was camping out at a demonstration supporting the pro-Palestinian cause, when she said police arrived and took dozens of people into custody at around 6:30 a.m.
“They gave one warning and said if you don’t immediately vacate we’re going to arrest you,” said Kimura. “We were in our encampment peacefully protesting. Police completely ambushed us.”
Police said at least 45 people were arrested.
“There were several warnings for them to leave. Those who elected to stay were arrested,” said Christian Bruckhart, with the New Haven Police Department.
Officers said they were charged with trespassing, then processed and released.
Protesters want Yale to divest from weapons manufacturing
Hundreds of students have been rallying for a cease-fire and urging Yale to divest from military weapons since Friday.
“Yale has a lot of investments in weapons manufacturers,” said Kimura. “Until we have a free Palestine, until we have cease-fire, until we have divestment, until we combat Islamophobia and a lot of the racism. Antisemitism obviously is such a huge problem as well.”
Other demonstrators, including with the group Jewish Voice for Peace, said their goal is to bring everyone together.
“The Palestinian people being killed is a danger to all Jews being killed as well. And so all of us need to recognize that the violence is what we’re fighting and not one another,” said Zachary Herring, with Jewish Voice for Peace.
New Haven police said they have no plans to move or arrest nonviolent demonstrators.
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