As students continue to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza at college campuses throughout the nation, the response by law enforcement is showing us just how threatened those in power feel by criticism of Israel, and many are wondering just how harshly protesters will be punished for participating.
Photos have been shared across social media showing a police sniper overlooking the pro-Palestinian protests that took place at Indiana University yesterday, and some observers are wondering if police will simply start shooting pro-Palestine students as tensions continue to rise.
Conservative journalist Margaret Menge posted a video on X and said that the sniper had their “gun pointed down at peaceful Gaza protesters in Dunn Meadow.” She said she was told the sniper was from the Indiana State Police but was unable to confirm it.
We do know, however, that a swarm of Indiana State Police troopers were on the scene, some wearing riot gear, equipped with pepper spray, guns and assault weapons. Some people present also reported there was a tactical helicopter.
The Indiana Daily Student X account reported that at least 32 individuals were booked into Monroe County Jail following the protest there, facing charges ranging from criminal trespassing and battery to resisting law enforcement.
USMC veteran Lucas Gage wrote on X: “They won’t even do this for our border, but they’ll do it for Jewish feelings. Incredible.”
Snipers also spotted at Ohio State protests
This isn’t just an overreaction on the part of Indiana University; snipers have also been seen on rooftops at Ohio State University. Ohio State’s student newspaper The Lantern quoted a university spokesperson, Ben Johnson, as saying that the people on the roof of the Ohio Union were actually “state troopers in a watching position, similar to football game day.”
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He added that the university locked the union completely at around 7:30 due to concerns about “public safety” as exams and activities were also taking place; those who were using the union were asked to leave.
It came as pro-Palestine groups gathered on the university’s campus, calling for a ceasefire. Around 30 protesters were arrested, including a faculty member, a graduate student and people who were not affiliated with the university.
The Lantern reports that Ohio State police and state troopers were present, and they brought three arrest vans and a police helicopter to deal with the crowd of around 250 protesters who were chanting “Free, free Palestine.” Several tents that had been put up were removed after police repeatedly warned protesters to take them down.
? A police sniper was reportedly photographed and filmed "overlooking" pro-Palestine protests at Indiana University on Thursday.
Conservative journalist Margaret Menge (@togdali) said she's "never seen anything like this on this campus."https://t.co/9EQWQiI5jK
— Chris Menahan ?? (@infolibnews) April 26, 2024
Why are the snipers there? Some people argue that they are the typical snipers you might see at a large gathering like a concert or major sports event and are there to protect everyone, including the protesters from unhinged Israel supporters who may seek to harm them, or they are there to protect the police on the ground. However, others worry there may be something far more nefarious at play, and if there is one very conspicuous sniper on the rooftop, it’s not a stretch to imagine there are others that we can’t or didn't see.
The idea that some students could pay the ultimate price for protesting isn’t very far-fetched. In fact, with several politicians calling for the National Guard to be called in to contain student protests throughout the nation, the Kent State shootings – when Ohio National Guard officers killed four unarmed college students and wounded nine during protests related to the Vietnam War – are already on plenty of Americans’ minds these days.
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