Indian-origin student in US arrested, barred from varsity for taking part in anti-Israel protests on campus

New York: An Indian-origin female student studying at the prestigious Princeton University is among two students who have been arrested and barred from the campus for staging pro-Palestine protests on the campus.

Achinthya Sivalingan, born in Coimbatore and raised in Columbus, has been barred from the campus and faces disciplinary action, said a university spokesperson.

Protesters set up tents for a student-led pro-Palestine encampment in McCosh Courtyard at about 7 a.m. Thursday. After warnings from University officials, two Princeton students were arrested, and the remaining protesters packed away their camping gear and continued the demonstration as a sit-in, the Princeton Alumni Weekly said in a report.

About 100 undergraduate and graduate students began a sit-in on McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins nationwide.

The protesting students are demanding that colleges cut their financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the deadly Gaza conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have now become antisemitism and they are afraid to enter the campus.

After student organisers first began to erect tents, Princeton Public Safety (PSAFE) issued its first warning to protesters. At least two student arrests have been made. After the initial arrests, students folded them away, the Daily Princetonian reported.

The two students, Achinthya Sivalingam GS and Hassan Sayed GS were arrested within six minutes of the first tents being set up.

“The two graduate students have been immediately barred from campus, pending a disciplinary process,” University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “No force was used by Public Safety officers when conducting the arrests, which occurred without resistance,” Morrill added.

Students face arrest and being barred from campus if they refuse to stop after a warning, according to a campus-wide message from Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun on Wednesday morning.

Urvi, a first-year PhD student, called the arrest “violent” and said zip ties were put around their wrists.

“They’ve been evicted from their houses and were given under five minutes to get their stuff,” Urvi said.