How Princeton University tried to 'scapegoat' a PhD student over pro-Palestine protests

In April 2024, 13 members of the Princeton University community, including 12 students and one post-doctoral researcher, were arrested for participating in a pro-Palestine sit-in at a building on the main campus in Princeton, New Jersey.

At the time, a wave of pro-Palestine protests against Israel's bombardment of Gaza was sweeping university campuses across the US, including at Princeton, where hundreds of students had set up an encampment to call on the university to cut ties with companies profiting from Israel's occupation of Palestine and its war on Gaza.

The university's refusal to negotiate with students spurred 13 activists on 29 April to collectively occupy Clio Hall, home to the graduate centre, and force administrators to the table.

The Clio 13 - as they became known - were immediately arrested and temporarily banned from campus. Those living in university housing were reportedly evicted and stripped of access to medical care.

Read more: How Princeton University tried to 'scapegoat' a PhD student over pro-Palestine protests