Israel war: Arrests made after fight breaks out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters at Tulane University

Two arrests were made at Tulane University on Thursday after fighting broke out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters.

Demonstrators were protesting in support of Israelis and Palestinians on Freret Street near the Tulane University campus when the fighting began, and three Tulane students were assaulted, reporting minor injuries.

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Officers with Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans, Tulane University, and Loyola University police departments responded and arrested two people, Tulane University President Michael Fitts said in a joint statement with school officers.

“To be clear: We condemn and are outraged by today’s violence and the hateful language and rhetoric we heard. It is counter to everything we stand for at Tulane,” Fitts said. “What started out as a peaceful demonstration unfortunately devolved into a violent incident and a dark day for our community.”

Fitts emphasized that the demonstrations were not authorized or sanctioned by the school.

As of 6 p.m. on Thursday, Orleans Parish jail records indicated a single simple battery booking was made in connection with the protest, the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate reported. Tulane University said more arrests are possible as security footage is being reviewed.

Summer Swenson, a Tulane sophomore, told the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate that the fight began when someone tried to light an Israeli flag on fire.

“Then, more people started coming up and there were a lot of punches,” Swenson said. “There was a brawl in the middle.”

Video footage captured by local outlet WWLTV shows a small group of people fighting before it quickly died down, as people in orange jackets moved to break the protesters apart. WWLTV said the protests were peaceful until the fighting began.

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Tulane University police arrested a male student early on Thursday prior to the protests. He is accused of spray-painting a pro-Palestinian message on a wall on Freret Street, Fitts said, according to the Tulane Hullabaloo. Students reported concerns about safety on campus after the graffiti statement appeared, Fitts said.

“Tulane celebrates free speech and supports peaceful protest, but we will not tolerate any threats to the safety and security of our Tulane community,” the university said.