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George Washington University Barricades Nearly All Outdoor Campus Spaces Following Anti-Israel Encampment Raid
George Washington University blocked off most outdoor campus spaces on May 9, 2024 after clearing out an anti-Israel encampment from the Washington, DC campus the prior day. Photo: Jack Elbaum
George Washington University blocked off most outdoor campus spaces on Thursday after clearing out an anti-Israel encampment from the Washington, DC campus the prior day.
Photos taken by The Algemeiner show tall fencing surrounding University Yard (U-Yard), where the almost two-week-long encampment protest took place. The company that installed the fencing has been used by the US Capitol to erect fencing in recent years, according to the GW Hatchet.
Students are unable to enter U-Yard, whether it be from H Street, 21st Street, or 20th Street. It is the primary grassy area on campus and is surrounded by multiple academic buildings — which were largely closed by GW amid the encampment, causing some classes and even finals to be canceled.
George Washington University blocked off most outdoor campus spaces on May 9, 2024 after clearing out an anti-Israel encampment from the Washington, DC campus the prior day. Photo: Jack Elbaum
Additionally, Kogan Plaza has been fenced off since the beginning of the encampment on April 25. All three entrances remain barricaded and security ensures nobody breaches the barricades. Kogan Plaza is where many significant university events take place. It is also surrounded by the Gelman Library and includes a popular study space.
The fence surrounding Anniversary Park has also been closed and pad-locked. The only major outdoor space not completely closed to students is Square 80.
George Washington University blocked off most outdoor campus spaces on May 9, 2024 after clearing out an anti-Israel encampment from the Washington, DC campus the prior day. Photo: Jack Elbaum
According to the GW Hatchet, U-Yard and Kogan Plaza will remain closed through commencement. No specific reason was given, but it is likely to prevent a re-occupation of any major university space.
George Washington University blocked off most outdoor campus spaces on May 9, 2024 after clearing out an anti-Israel encampment from the Washington, DC campus the prior day. Photo: Jack Elbaum
Such fears may have arisen due to the persistence of the protesters as they were being cleared out and even afterward. Within 48 hours of clearing the encampment, its organizers have already planned or carried out three new protests.
At approximately 3:00 am on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) raided the anti-Israel encampment. Previously, Washington, DC’s Mayor, Muriel Bowser, did not allow the encampment to be cleared — despite a request to do so from GW — citing bad optics, according to The Washington Post.
However, the encampment broke school rules and was unlawful from the beginning, GW President Ellen Granberg noted. It also became increasingly hostile and volatile. Videos showed protesters calling for the execution of Granberg, along with other GW administrators. They also raised the Palestinian flag over U-Yard and desecrated a statue of George Washington.
“Harassing and degrading people based on their beliefs or background, assaulting police officers, illegally occupying and destroying university property, and displaying violent imagery and language are simply unacceptable,” Granberg said in a statement on Wednesday.
After three warnings, the MPD moved in to arrest those who did not leave. When they continued not to comply, at least two officers used pepper spray while confronting those breaking school rules and the law.
Granberg thanked the MPD, writing, “We are also grateful for MPD’s continued assistance and the tireless efforts of our GWPD, security, and maintenance personnel.”
The post George Washington University Barricades Nearly All Outdoor Campus Spaces Following Anti-Israel Encampment Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Announces India and Pakistan ‘Agreed to a Full and Immediate Ceasefire’
US President Donald Trump attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, April 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Leah Millis
i24 News – US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” he posted on social media. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the ceasefire, saying Saudi Arabia and Turkey also played an important role in facilitating the deal.
The ceasefire follows weeks of clashes and cross-border missile and drone strikes triggered by a gun massacre of Indian tourists last month.
New Delhi has blamed jihadists from the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organization. Pakistan denies the charge.
Dozens of civilians have been killed on both sides.
The post Trump Announces India and Pakistan ‘Agreed to a Full and Immediate Ceasefire’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Latest Columbia Scandal Sees Over 65 Students Suspended, Including Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Daughter
Pro-Palestinian protesters are detained by NYPD after taking part in a demonstration at Butler Library on the Columbia University campus in New York, U.S., May 7, 2025. REUTERS/Dana Edwards
i24 News – In the latest antisemitism scandal at the prestigious New York institution, Columbia University suspended dozens of students and barred from campus alumni and others who took part in a chaotic and violent anti-Israel incident inside the school’s main library earlier in the week.
On May 7, the mask-clad mob forced its way into the library, injuring two public safety officers in the process. Once inside, they vandalized property, adorning the premises with Palestinian flags, scrawling “Columbia will burn” on a glass case, and declaring the library a “liberated zone.”
Some 75 protesters were arrested after refusing to comply with police directives, including Ramona Sarsgaard, daughter of Hollywood A-lister Maggie Gyllenhaal and actor Peter Sarsgaard.
The Ivy League university in Manhattan declined to say how long the disciplinary measures would be in place, saying only that the decisions are pending further investigation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said his office will review the visa status of those who participated in the library takeover for possible deportation.
The post Latest Columbia Scandal Sees Over 65 Students Suspended, Including Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Daughter first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US, Iran to Hold 4th Round of Nuclear Talks on Eve of Trump’s Gulf Tour
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on before a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
i24 News – The United States and Iran will hold a fourth round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman, officials said, just ahead of a visit to the region by President Donald Trump.
Trump, who will visit three other Gulf Arab monarchies next week, has voiced hope for reaching a deal with Tehran to curb its nuclear program that would avert an Israeli military strike on Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities that could ignite a wider war. He has refused, however, to rule out military action in the event the talks come to naught.
Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said that Oman, the mediator in the talks, had proposed Sunday as the date and both sides accepted it.
“Negotiations are moving ahead and naturally, the more we advance, the more consultations we have, and the more time the delegations need to examine the issues,” he was quoted as saying by regime media. “But what’s important is that we are moving forward so that we gradually get into the details.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s personal friend serving as his globe-trotting negotiator, will take part in the talks.
American and Iranian representatives voiced optimism after the previous talks that took place in Oman and Rome, saying there was a friendly atmosphere despite the two countries’ decades of enmity.
However the two sides are not believed to have thrashed out the all-important technical details, and basic questions remain.
The post US, Iran to Hold 4th Round of Nuclear Talks on Eve of Trump’s Gulf Tour first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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