ASU student journalists recount arrests of pro-Palestine demonstrators on Tempe campus
TEMPE, Ariz. - More than 70 people were arrested during a pro-Palestine demonstration at Arizona State University in Tempe on Saturday morning.
Most of the media had left – but two student journalists saw what happened as they were covering the demonstration for the school's paper, The State Press.
They said they never felt in danger at the protests, but say it was intense. It was clear to them, they were witnessing history.
11 p.m. Friday night was ASU's deadline for protestors to leave Old Main lawn. The pro-Palestine demonstrators had a large encampment, violating university policy.
"Definitely feel tension. Just tension everywhere," said Paul Pascual, a freshman at ASU and a reporter for The State Press.
He and fellow ASU student and reporter Sophia Ramirez work for ASU's student-run newspaper.
"I wonder if the images that Sophia is taking here today will be in future ASU textbooks and that made me have to sit down and like really think about it," Ramirez said.
Things escalated just before midnight.
"They started over here on this end with state troopers and riot gear to make a line and start pushing forward," Ramirez said.
At least 72 demonstrators were arrested. Their encampment was torn down.
Nearly 70 demonstrators arrested for Israel protests at ASU
Nearly 70 people were arrested overnight for protests at ASU in support of Palestinians that are in danger because of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.
"I would say it was very intense. You can see the emotions of these demonstrators and their reactions to the police and the police marching towards University Drive," Pascual recalled.
Ramirez knew this was history in the making.
"I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t necessarily intimidated. It felt significant because ASU was just one of a few campuses that were contributing to this protest across the country," she said.
The Old Main lawn now sits empty and is gated off ahead of the university's graduation ceremonies.
Protests like this have led to graduations being canceled at other universities.