June 18 at 2:17 p.m. – College announces future faculty and staff layoffs due to enrollment decline it says is linked to campus protests
Emerson College will lay off faculty and staff and not fill some vacant positions in response to reduced enrollment, which it said was partly caused by “negative press and social media” from pro-Palestine demonstrations, according to an email President Jay Bernhardt sent to faculty and staff Tuesday.
Read more about this development here.
June 1 at 4:30 p.m. – Members of Emerson Alumni for Justice in Palestine march out of Alumni Weekend Event
More than 40 Emerson alums gathered for Alumni Weekend on June 1. As attendees convened in the Lion’s Den to celebrate, members of Emerson Alumni for Justice in Palestine announced to fellow attendees their intent to protest before marching and chanting into the Boylston Place Alley, where a collection of alumni and students protested for the duration of the event.
President Jay Bernhardt and Board of Trustees President Eric Alexander did not attend the event.
Following the event, Emerson Alumni for Justice in Palestine released a statement about their message and demonstration at the Alumni Weekend event:
“Alumni Weekend is traditionally a time where Emerson asks alumni to ‘give back’ and donate financially to the college. This year, Emerson scaled back its programming, vaguely alluding to ‘recent campus events and climate’ as the reason. But Emerson cannot continue to value investment profits over the lives of Palestinians and the safety of its students, and expect to continue with business as usual. At the ‘Meet Me at the Wall’ event, members of EAJP informed alumni about the college’s failure to disclose, divest, and address the brutalization of students by the BPD. When we stated that ‘more students got arrested at Emerson by percentage of the student body than other schools,’ Professor Michael Brown interrupted our speakers to ask: ‘How is that important?’
We pose the question back to the college. Over 100 students were arrested because of their failure to meaningfully engage with ESJP’s work. The Boston Police injured and traumatized students. This happened because Emerson will not divest from Israel’s brutal occupation and murder of Palestinian people. And the administration asks ‘how is that important?’
At our alternative event, we called on fellow alumni to redirect their donations to UNRWA, demonstrating to the college that until they act with their conscience, we will not give them financial support.
President Jay Bernhardt and Board of Trustees Chair Eric Alexander’s failure to appear at an event where they would be interacting with the alumni community is disappointing. When leaders remove themselves from community events that they were supposed to appear at, it raises the question of what conversations are they avoiding? But removing or limiting access to administrators will not stop the movement started by students. Any attempts by Emerson affiliates to take the focus off of the horrific treatment of students, and insinuating that everything is fine because BPD dropped charges, is insulting and dismissive of Emerson’s role in everything that has transpired over the last eight months.
If one thing is clear from the events of this past academic year, it’s that students have no confidence in the current administration to protect their safety or engage in productive dialogue. The Emerson community has suffered so much pain and trauma at the hands of the administration and the Boston police. While our community heals, we continue to push the demands at the core of the students’ peaceful protests: that Emerson College must disclose, divest, and publicly call for an immediate ceasefire.
In his May 6 letter to the community, President Bernhardt expressed eagerness ‘to meet more frequently with our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents,’ and work towards ‘rebuilding and growing these relationships, which are the basis for restoring mutual trust.’ In the same statement, he wrote: ‘Regarding financial divestment, the Board of Trustees has considered this request and may continue to do so further in the future.’ As alumni, we have witnessed Emerson issue vague calls for unity instead of implementing actual change for generations. If Bernhardt sincerely wishes to restore the trust of the community, then he must take action on ESJP’s clearly stated proposals.
Administration cannot ask alumni for financial support on top of the thousands of dollars we have paid for our education without being held accountable for what those dollars are funding. We will not allow the college to continue to function without answering to those who actually make up the college – students, faculty, staff, alumni. WE are the school – not administration.”
May 1 by 7 p.m. – All sticky notes have been removed from Ansin Building
May 1 at 4:40 p.m. – Protesters disperse from outside Ansin Building
May 1 at 4 p.m. – Protesters duct tape list of over 1,000 Emerson student signatures on April 25 outside Ansin Building
May 1 at 3:56 p.m. – Protesters place sticky notes on Ansin Building windows
May 1 at 3:51 p.m. – Group walks toward Ansin Building
May 1 at 3:18 p.m. – Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA07) speaks at rally via phone
Pressley spoke at the rally held in the Boston Common near the Boylston T-stop via phone, leading a call and response with protesters.
“I just called to say thank you for putting your bodies on the line. And know that I have your back,” Pressley reiterated to the protesters.
May 1 at 3:10 p.m. – Group leaves alley, heads back to Boston Common
After nearly 20 minutes of chanting, the group dispersed from the alley. They walked back to the Boston Common to continue the rally there.
May 1 at 3:09 p.m. – Protester says “Let this university know this is not the last time you will see us.”
Following this statement, the crowd chants “we’ll be back.”
May 1 at 2:58 p.m. – Organizers declare April 25 as the “People’s University’s” Day
May 1 at 2:55 p.m – May Day rally continues simultaneously in the Common
Roughly 50 protesters stationed by Boylston Green Line station take turns giving speeches. People from the crowd are asked to speak.
May 1 at 2:53 p.m. – Group moves back to 2 Boylston Place alley
May 1 at 2:50 p.m. – Protesters say “whose school, our school” and leave Lion’s Den
May 1 at 2:49 p.m. – Group of protesters enter Lion’s Den
A group of protesters occupy the Lion’s Den, standing in a circle with fists raised in a silent protest.
May 1 at 2:44 p.m. – Rally moves to 2 Boylston Place alley
May 1 at 2:35 p.m. – Rally splits in half
Half of the protesters headed towards Emerson’s campus and the 2 Boylston Place alley while others stayed in the Common.
May 1 at 1:17 p.m. – Rally at UnCommon Stage begins
Students, faculty and staff gathered next to the UnCommon Stage Beer Garden and the Boylston T-stop for a rally in honor of May Day.
May 1 at 11:15 a.m – Court proceedings finish
Students complete their arraignments, most were tried together and given 40 hours of community service to be completed by Sept. 18.
One student who was a part of the 13 students arrested on March 22 received 80 hours. 40 hours for the first arrest and 40 for the second.
May 1 at 10:50 a.m – First group of students leave courthouse
First wave of students exit the courtroom after their arraignment to witness applause and cheers from the supporters in the waiting area.
May 1 at 10:40 a.m – Students begin to enter the courtroom for their arraignments
Students are brought into the courtroom in groups of roughly a dozen. NLG has been facilitating who enters first and with what attorney.
May 1 at 10:17 a.m – Security requests attorneys to proceed to courtroom
Court security requests attorneys of arraigned students to proceed into the courtroom. There are seven attorneys representing the different students according to court security.
May 1 at 10:07 a.m – Students work on homework while waiting for arraignments
While waiting to be let inside the courtroom, many students scheduled to be arraigned and student supporters have opted to work on homework for their classes. Other students passed the time playing solitaire, reading, and drawing.
May 1 at 9:50 a.m – Injury reports distributed
NLG distributes injury reports to those being arraigned, both those being represented by NLG lawyers and those with personal council. NLG representatives went around asking if anyone had been injured during arrests, reports range from bruising to more serious injuries.
May 1 at 9:20 a.m. – NLG asks students if they need representation
Members of the National Lawyers Guild walked up and down the hall outside the courtroom asking if anyone else needed legal representation.
May 1 at 9:15 a.m. – Emerson students show support at court hearings
Students who were not arrested showed up for their peers at Boston Municipal Court in hopes that it would show any administration that may be watching, that students are in support of those arrested, according to several students who spoke with the Beacon.
Sydney Lowry came to the courthouse with a group of five friends to join the members of the Emerson community showing support for the arraigned students. She knows multiple students who are being arraigned on different days this week and plans to return to the courthouse Friday to offer support as well.
“I want to show that they have people here for them and care about them… we are watching to make sure that [the courts] make an appropriate decision,” she said.
As the crowd grew to nearly 100 students and supporters, court security attempted to keep a clear passage through the hallway.
May 1 at 9 a.m. – Students prepare for court hearing at Boston Municipal Court
National Lawyers Guild representatives pulled some of the estimated 30 students scheduled for arraignment today aside to provide legal council ahead of doors opening for proceedings. The current plea deal being offered, they explained, is 40 hours of community service at a nonprofit of the student’s choice in exchange for case dismissal and the removal of charges from their criminal record. Lawyers explained this was the deal given to many students who were arraigned on Tuesday. They also explained that individual representation through the NLG would be provided ahead of the arraignment.
April 30 at 8:05 p.m. – Registrar announces pass/fail option
Emerson students have the option of changing to a Pass in place of a letter grade, according to an email from the Registrar’s Office.
“Undergraduates who receive a B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D for the spring 2024 semester may change their grade to a Pass,” the email read.
This comes in response to the April 25 arrests and following town hall on April 29. Students who opt for the pass/fail option will not have it affect their GPA, but the credits will count towards the 128 graduation credit requirement.
April 29 at 3:11 p.m. – Emerson College Police officers monitor 2 Boylston Place Alley, Boston Police leave
Remaining police officers left with students booing them as they drove off. ECPD continued to monitor the area. Local news helicopters circled Emerson’s campus as students gathered in small groups watching the remaining police officers.
April 29 at 3:05 p.m. – Students chalk pro-Palestine messages and drawings in alley
Remaining students wrote on the alley walls and ground with chalk, and others put up signs with slogans such as, “Emerson you have blood on your hands.”
April 29 at 3:02 p.m. – BPD carrier drives away
Protesters still present in the alley moved to sidewalks and other public spaces and continued to chant. Police officers began to disperse as students yelled “Shame!” as the cruisers left the area.
April 29 at 2:56 p.m. – Police officers show up on Boylston Street side of alley
April 29 at 2:52 p.m. – Organizers call for protesters to disperse
After 12 minutes of chanting, those leading the chants called for the crowd to disperse to avoid drawing a police presence.
April 29 at 2:48 p.m. – SJP posts to Instagram story to come to alley following Town Hall
April 29 at 2:40 p.m – Students gather in the alley after meeting chanting
A crowd of students left the Tufte building from the Town Hall meeting. A flash crowd formed and chanted “Ain’t no power like the power of the people cause the power of the people don’t stop.”
April 29 at 2:26 p.m. – Students overtake stage and chant “Ain’t no power like the power of the people because the power of the people don’t stop”
April 29 at 2:20 p.m. – Hawkins announces Town Hall will end at 2:30 p.m.
April 29 at 2:09 p.m. – Eric Alexander, Chair of Board of Trustees, yells “back the fuck up” at student speaker
April 29 at 2 p.m. – Town Hall proceeds past initial end time
April 29 at 1:30 p.m. – Yasser Munif, associate professor and member of FSJP, speaks
“The Civil Rights Movement [at] UNC preferred to close the university. Instead of integrating, they didn’t want Black students on campus. They close for the whole year.
The anti-war movement [for] Vietnam saw the killing of students on campus. While the administration was stepping aside and watching the anti-apartheid movement, many universities expelled their students, disciplined them, threatened, intimidated.
And here we are, again, [with] administration doing exactly the same thing, [being] on the wrong side of history.”
April 29 at 12:55 p.m. – Emerson Muslim Chaplain, Amber Hai: “Our students who teach me every day what it means to be a decent person”
“I was there at every single protest. I was there that night. I was there at 7 p.m. until the next day trying to make sure that our students, our students who teach me every day what it means to be a decent person, what it means to even follow my faith.”
April 29 at 12:38 p.m. – Samantha Ivery, director of Equity Initiatives, makes statement
“I was there…I was there. I was there at the protests in March. I was there waiting for hours in the cold until all Emerson 13 were released. I was there in the alley. I saw the multifaith Seder during Passover. I called my mom and I said ‘Mom, I think that’s what heaven looks like.’ There were Jews, Muslims, Christians and all other beliefs there together singing. I saw the conversation and laughter between students and unhoused Bostonians.”
“I was there. I will never forget being locked out of Emerson’s buildings. I will never forget the screams. I will never forget seeing bodies thrown and dragged across the ground. I will never forget pulling my colleagues from the hands of the police. I will never forget the blood. I will never forget.”
April 29 at 12:37 p.m. – “Tell me where my money is going. I pay for education… not for the brutalization of my peers and Palestinians.”
April 29 at 12:35 p.m. – “The foundation is cracked.”
An Emerson alum who took part in the formation of OEO asked students if they wanted to pursue lateral deviance or vertical deviance. Lateral deviance, they said, means restarting a new system, whereas vertical deviance refers to working with the system.
April 29 at 12:27 p.m. – Jewish student who attended encampment speaks
“As a people who have experienced genocide, our job is [to say] ‘Never Again.’”
“That encampment was not anti-Semitism, it was beautiful, and you need to do better.”
April 29 at 12:24 – Illona Yosefov, instructional technologist and Israeli, speaks about Israelis condemning occupation and genocide
“It is not true that the administration does not make any political statements. This resistance to calling for a ceasefire or divesting from Israel is not a policy that the university has because there were calls about Ukraine. After Oct. 7, there was an email saying we condemn the act of Hamas. But after that, there was nothing saying we condemn killing aid workers or blowing up universities and hospitals or starving babies.”
“I speak as an Israeli with family there,” Yosefov said. “There are people in Israel who are speaking up against genocide, who are speaking against the occupation, and they’re brutalized by their own government. So what are you doing? What are you going to do to help them? You can call for a ceasefire. You can divest, you can use political means to isolate the state of government in the state of Israel, and put pressure on the government that also many Jews here agree with to do the right thing.”
April 29 at 12:20 p.m. – Anna Feder makes statement
“I was there at the encampment when it started, and about half of its 80 hours until its violent dismantling. I was behind my phone live streaming so that you could all feel what we were feeling in that alley when cops in riot gear streamed out of that transportation building, probably about three of them for every one of us. I want to echo that it was the most beautiful space that I’ve ever seen on this campus. For solutions. I think our Marlboro [Institute] peers have some information on how we can move forward.”
“I love the solidarity that has been building with all those folks. I love this college. It’s where I’ve made my professional home. I think the way forward is to democratize this campus and to share power between the students, the faculty, and the staff who make this institution and community what it is. I’m facing you all because you’re my audience. I want to end with disclosure, divest, [and] call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. My heart is tied to a free Palestine.”
April 29 at 12:10 p.m. – “I suggest we start with you resigning.”
“Here we are in a difficult time, and who is bringing us together? It ain’t Jay.”
“If you want solutions, start with disclose, divest. Otherwise, I suggest we start with you resigning.”
April 29 at 12:01 p.m. – “Congratulations, Jay. You did it. You changed [the school’s] image to the ugliest thing I have ever seen while here at Emerson.”
April 29 at 11:56 a.m. – Testimony emails reserved for Town Hall records, speakers in person continue
April 29 at 11:37 a.m. – Student detained during March 22 arrests speaks
“I don’t want to talk about talking about these issues. I want to talk about the issues themselves. If you want to heal, if you want an open dialogue, if you want to prove that you weren’t driven purely by power and money, I ask genuinely: What will your administration do?”
April 29 at 11:28 a.m. – SGA President-elect Nandan Nair speaks out
“I promise you that today is only the beginning in the fight for open and transparent communication and pursuit of accountability, equity and change.”
April 29 at 11:16 a.m. – JAZ statement read
“Emerson College has repeatedly perpetuated the notion that it is protecting its Jewish students by disrupting SJP events and calling the cops to arrest protesters. Let us be clear: Jewish students were on the front lines. We were detained with our comrades and we enjoyed a safe and wonderful community space during the encampment. SJP has always supported Emerson’s Jewish students: providing a space for us to meet, for us to celebrate our holidays to be together as a community, Jewish values, teach us to stand up against genocide, to stand up against oppression, and call on Emerson College to do the same.”
April 29 at 10:54 a.m. – Access: Student Disability Union member speaks out
“I encourage all of us to reach out to a community we are not currently in touch with to learn about what they’ve been doing because people have been answering these questions long before they were posed here today.”
April 29 at 10:49 a.m. – “This school is not run like a place of learning, it’s run like a business.”
April 29 at 10:29 a.m. – Addressing Bernhardt: “You do not know me because this is the first time you have ever seen me.”
“President Bernhardt, you do not know me. I’m a name on a page, merely one of the arrestees who caused you so much trouble this week. You do not know me because this is the first time I’ve ever seen you.
My friends were arrested, violently arrested. Are you not ashamed? A real president should have been there. The first time [you] should have stood in front of the students [you were] sworn to serve and protect instead of staying at his inauguration.
[You] are not part of my Emerson College. My Emerson College is everyone else in this room who did show up, who reached out, and supported me, who came to get me out of the jail that you put me in. I am so disappointed that you are the face of the school that I love. And now I have a new wish is that you will finally take accountability. So thank you for the hope.”
April 29 at 10:29 a.m. – Fourth student speaks
“Because of Emerson’s vicious response to peaceful protest, it’s disheartening to see such disregard for students’ well-being from Emerson’s leadership, seeing suffering, your response has made me lose my love for learning. My hope for Emerson and my faith in the bones that we as the institution claim to champion the Emerson community deserves to heal.”
April 29 at 10:27 a.m. – Moderator reads email statement from Black student
“If you’re Black, and you go to Emerson College you can see all the eyes on you in the elevator, on Boylston, in class. If you’re Black and you go to Emerson College, [you] know that you’re not only a minority demographic. On top of that, you’re being thoroughly observed with judgmental eyes.”
April 29 at 10:21 a.m. – Second student speaks: “Don’t mind my voice. We have been screaming for the past six months.”
“To the City of Boston and mayor, we will not let you hide from the violence you enacted against your students in your positions. And to the media, [we] will not forget the lies you distributed and the woeful failure of your journalism.
We demand for divestment. We demand an end to the assault on students’ rights. We demand the protection of our whole community, we demand an end to the occupation and continued genocide in Palestine.
We demand you, the City of Boston, [and] college campuses across America to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. We will not pass and we will not tire. That is a promise [and] we call the Emerson College community to promise the same.”
April 29 at 10:18 a.m. – First student speaks
“We think that the only way to protest is to stay in our classrooms, to write an essay, to create a film. But we know historically in this country, we need more.”
April 29 at 10:18 a.m. – “What has negatively affected your experiences at Emerson this year, and what policies and structures contribute to this?”
April 29 at 10:17 a.m. – Student remarks open
April 29 at 10:07 a.m. – Semel hits 216 capacity
April 29 at 10:04 a.m. – “Why are you passionate about Emerson College?”
“I’m passionate about Emerson College because I’m a first-generation Black gay college graduate, and Emerson has been … the academic institution where I felt celebrated, I felt welcome, and so I desperately want for others to have that same feeling and for us to bring in a sense of community back, because we’re going to be stronger together and community problems require community solutions,” Hawkins said.
“Being at Emerson allows me to do college in the real world. There’s a way in which our urban campus and the space of this community doesn’t require a separation between practitioner and theoretician that sometimes happens in other academic spaces,” said Gellman.
April 29 at 10 a.m. – Town Hall begins
Dr. Deion Hawkins, assistant professor in communication studies, introduces himself and fellow organizers.
April 29 at 9:41 a.m. – Attendees enter Semel Theater, Bernhardt makes appearance
April 28 at 5 p.m. – Campus Coalition presents “A Community Space for Creativity and Healing”
Approximately 50 Emerson student organizations came together following the April 25 arrests to host a joint event in the Lion’s Den from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Community Space aimed to foster a safe environment for Emerson community members to collage, eat food, experience live music, pick up campus publications, and heal together, according to a collaborative Instagram post shared by at least five Emerson student organizations.
The event in the Lion’s Den started with opening remarks from the ECSU, SJP, and the Campus Coalition, according to a promotional Instagram story post. The Campus Coalition shared their main seven demands, which are posted to multiple student organizations’ Instagrams.
There was an hour-long closed mic event at 5:30 p.m. which was specifically designed for discussing Thursday’s events. At 6:30 p.m., attendees could participate in a healing circle, which included grounding exercises and a space to share. Students then came together for a 7 p.m. performance by Baby Face, which is Emerson student Vritika Thadhani’s stage name.
There was also an event held in concurrence in the Bill Bordy that was less structured and open until 10 p.m. Students could create art or make friendship bracelets, and there was an open mic for community members to share their experiences before, during, or after the April 25 arrests.
April 28 – SJP posts statement to the City of Boston and Emerson College
SJP Emerson, along with four other Boston-based pro-Palestine groups, shared their statement addressing the City of Boston and Emerson College in an Instagram post on Sunday. The groups condemned the acts of violence from police early Thursday morning in the 2 Boylston Place alley.
“We demand full divestment. We demand an end to the assault on students’ rights. We demand protection for our unhoused community. We demand an end to the occupation and continued genocide of Palestine. We demand you–the City of Boston and college campuses across America–to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. We will not rest and we will not tire; that is a promise.”
April 28 at 3 p.m. – FSJP organizes Zoom meeting for Emerson Parents
Emerson’s Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) held a Zoom meeting to create a supportive community group for parents who support students affected by recent campus arrests, according to an FSJP Instagram post.
Attendees of the online discussion filled out a Google form “community agreement” to foster a safe space of challenging discussions.
April 28 at 7:42 a.m. – Bernhardt releases statement on campus arrests
Early Sunday morning, Bernhardt sent an email statement to the Emerson community regarding the recent campus arrests, defending the college’s actions and pledging no disciplinary action against arrested students.
“Because we are committed to our students’ right to protest, Emerson made every possible effort to avoid confrontation between the police and the protesters at the encampment,” the email read. “Prior to the law enforcement action, the college advocated with the city and Boston Police Department for several days to delay the removal of the encampment. When it became clear the city intended to clear the tents from the alley, we actively encouraged the protesters to remove them to prevent arrest. We also strongly and directly advocated for the police to peacefully remove tents without making arrests.”
Bernhardt acknowledged the emotional aftermath of the arrests for the students “present at the protest and the staff and faculty who were on site to provide support.” He referenced the ways in which the college has offered support, including sending staff to all the precincts and posting bail for arrested students as well as canceling and modifying classes.
His statement went on to say the school would not “bring any campus disciplinary charges against the protesters” and would encourage the district attorney to not pursue charges “related to encampment violations.”
He also said the college would give housing support to those issued court dates after dorm closures on May 3. The statement did not comment on the state of classes and finals this week.
April 27 at 10 p.m. – Mayor Wu cancels Harvard event following withdrawal of student sponsors due to Emerson encampment police response
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu canceled an event at Harvard University scheduled for April 30 after 11 student affinity groups sponsoring the event pulled their support. This largely came after Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox sent Boston police officers to break up the “Popular University Encampment” in the 2 Boylston Place Alley on Emerson’s campus.
Read more about this development here.
April 26 at 9:22 p.m. – Angus Abercrombie, the author of the no-confidence resolution, responds to Board of Trustees
“The statement from the Emerson College Board of Trustees gets only one thing correct: Jay Bernhardt’s ability to unite our campus. Students are united, along with many faculty, staff, and some administrators, who have approached us to express their quiet support for today’s action. We are united in our calls for his resignation, and reforms to the way Emerson does business so instead of continued escalation, our students can find safety and the college’s reputation can be repaired.”
April 26 at 7:30 p.m. – Community dinner at Empire Garden for encampment participants
Students and community members who were a part of the encampment came together Friday night at Empire Garden to rest, eat, and organize together, according to an SJP Instagram post.
April 26 at 6:16 p.m. – Board of Trustees releases statement in support of President Bernhardt
The Board of Trustees released a statement in support of President Jay Bernhardt, and called for the community to come together.
“At a time when freedom of speech and higher education itself are besieged by outside forces, the Emerson College Board of Trustees encourages our community to come together,” the statement read. “The differences we may have today within Emerson are shades of a shared vision for civil dialogue, peaceful protest, and respect for human diversity.”
The statement went on to note that the Board chose Jay Bernhardt as a “transformational leader who could bring us together in difficult times.”
The board reiterated in the statement that they remain confident in President Bernhardt’s leadership and “unequivocally support his presidency.”
April 26 at 2:54 p.m. – SGA makes closing remarks
“Fuck Jay Bernhardt,” Silvestrino said.
April 26 at 2:53 p.m. – SGA unanimously passes resolution expressing no confidence in Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt, calling for him to resign
April 26 at 2:23 p.m. – Sam, an arrested protester, provides testimony over Zoom
“You claim to want a free and diverse campus, you claim and you try to get student activists…here. And then you don’t want them to do that thing…You don’t want them to organize…You want to pretend like you’re doing good in the world without actually doing good in the world. Well, you can’t do that anymore,” they said.
April 26 at 2:21 p.m. – SGA updates resolution to include that 118 protesters were arrested, not 108 as previously reported
April 26 at 2:10 p.m. – Gwen, an arrested protestor and ECSU member urges SGA voters to not make Bernhardt a scapegoat
“Although I have no confidence in Jay Bernhardt this might make him a scapegoat, and I just want to make sure that that doesn’t happen. As little respect as I have for him and as much as I think he cannot protect us, I believe that this is not simply a failing on his part. I think there’s a failing of the institution of the wider administration, of the board of trustees…I just want to say [that if you] do choose to vote no confidence for Jay Bernhardt that we don’t stop there,” they said.
April 26 at 2:01 p.m. – “It is already a privilege that we are able to have this conversation considering the fact that there are so many students who would no longer have schools to attend in Palestine,” said student Percy.
April 26 at 1:55 p.m. – “This is not the last time we will assemble. This is the beginning of every other time that we assemble altogether,” said SGA Executive President Charlize Silvestrino.
April 26 at 1:45 p.m. – SGA invites arrested students to speak
April 26 at 1:44 p.m. – Juwaria, SGA executive vice president: “We tried so hard to protect ourselves, but these cops are brutal because that is what they do”
“All we did was try to build unity and solidarity. We did. We tried so hard to protect ourselves, but these cops are brutal because that is what they do. They come into communities. They don’t come in to serve and protect us. They come to hurt us. They come to break us apart. And this administration needs to respond,” said Juwaria, SGA executive vice president.
April 26 at 1:40 p.m. – Zoom livestream reaches max capacity
The Zoom livestream reached its 300 person capacity. Zoom hosts encouraged people via Zoom chat to consolidate multiple people to one device.
April 26 at 1:23 p.m. – SGA reads resolution
SGA read the resolution expressing no confidence in Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt to the crowd. If Bernhardt does not immediately resign, SGA will call on the Board of Trustees to terminate his presidency immediately, the resolution said.
April 26 at 1:22 p.m. – SGA meeting begins
April 26 around 12 p.m. – Mayor Wu, Police Commissioner Cox agreed to remove “Popular University Encampment” and the arrests
According to the Boston Globe, Mayor Michelle Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox together agreed to remove the 2B alley encampment and the arrests of protesters.
“The Commissioner and I jointly agreed that the growing encampment needed to be removed in order to address the public safety and fire hazards that it presented,” Wu said in a statement Friday afternoon. “With that shared understanding, it was within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner and his department to plan and oversee the details of implementation. I have full trust and confidence in Commissioner Cox’s leadership and judgment to ensure safety across our city, and I am grateful to our police officers for their daily service.”
She added that she and Cox were “in communication” with school officials leading up to the removal effort, which started around 2 a.m. Thursday, the Globe reported.
April 26 at 10:57 a.m. – BPD confirms 118 arrests
The Beacon received an update from BPD that there were 118 arrests, not 108 as previously reported.
April 25 at 6:27 p.m. – Deans send message to community
“At this crisis moment in our institution we want to offer our time and energy to you,” they said. “We are faculty, we have been students, and as deans we are in that in-between space of administration and faculty and student contacts. We will all hold that space open for all your questions and concerns.”
April 25 at around 6 p.m. – SJP announce all detained protesters have been released
SJP announced in an Instagram post that all detained protesters have been released. They added that court support days and locations would be announced on a later date.
April 25 at 5 p.m. – Boston Jewish Voice for Peace condemns repression of Emerson protesters, support student encampment movement
Boston Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) posted on Instagram that they “stand in full support” of Emerson student activists who were “violently arrested by the Boston Police Department (BPD).”
JVP said it “condemns the violent arrests” of Emerson students and supports the student encampment movement in “solidarity with Palestine across the city and around the U.S.”
“These encampments bring attention to the direct link between our educational institutions and Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” JVP said in the post. “These brave students have put their bodies and educational futures on the line to rightly protest that their tuition dollars are being used to support the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
JVP reiterated student demands for the college, which include:
- Disclose their investments
- Cut ties and divest from Israel
- Drop all attacks on student organizers
- Speak out for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestine
JVP added that the arrests are part of a “violent nationwide crackdown on student activists using their voices and bodies to advocate for the end to the genocide in Gaza.”
JVP called for supporters to hold Mayor Michelle Wu and BPD accountable.
April 25 at 4:02 p.m. – Classes to be held Friday, April 26
In a news email update to the Emerson community, it announced that classes will be held tomorrow, Friday, April 26. According to the email, faculty will inform their students if the class will be held in person or by Zoom and as to how Thursday’s coursework will be made up.
April 25 at 4 p.m. – SGA holds press conference, calls for Bernhardt’s resignation
The Student Government Association (SGA) held a press conference with Charlize Silvestrino, the executive president, and Nandan Nair, the incoming executive president-elect, in front of the entrance to the 2B alley. Members of the community and local TV news listened in.
“Early this morning, over 100 students were violently arrested by the BPD. These are our classmates and our friends, and President Bernhardt’s inefficiency and unwillingness to collaborate and communicate with protesters played a huge role in last night’s tragedy,” Silvestrino said.
Nair announced that tomorrow at 1 p.m., “elected student leaders” will vote on a resolution of no confidence and call on Bernhardt to resign.
“It’s clear that some in the college administration failed us last night,” Nair said.
After their announcement, Silvestrino and Nair took questions from student journalists and media outlets.
Read more here.
April 25 at 3 p.m. – Boston Area Liberation Medic Squad helps released protesters address injuries.
In addition to providing provisions to the students on the lawn at the E5 Precinct, the Boston Area Liberation Medic Squad (BALM) gave medical care to protesters as they were released.
The Squad is a volunteer organization that specifically works with political activists who are arrested and gives medical and emotional support to them upon release. An official for the Squad said that their organization was “just as upset” as Emerson students over the encampment raids last night and dispatched as many volunteers today as possible to help aid the situation.
A volunteer physician who was on hand providing medical care but was not directly affiliated with BALM, described injuries he was addressing on a recently released student. The protester suffered a head, shoulder, and arm injury, and because they had multiple injuries and “the significance of the head injury,” the protester needed to be taken to the ER for “a higher level of medical care than we can deliver,” the volunteer said. “We are happy that he is stable and safe and that he can be taken to the hospital safely without decompensation.”
April 25 at 2:30 pm – Crowds disperse at E5 police precinct as protesters finish being released
Released protesters and those waiting for them disperse from the lawn in front of the E5 Boston Police precinct as final protester is released from custody.
Reports vary on whether all protesters have been released. Reports say precinct D4 may still have some remaining.
April 25 at 2:07 pm – Students continue to be released from E5 police precinct
Several protesters continue to be released, and crowds respond with hugs of support and cheers. An estimated third of those held in the E5 police precinct have been released so far.
As more protesters continue to be released, singing “Which side are you on my people, which side are you on? On the people’s side” begins from the crowd.
April 25 at 2 p.m. – Students wait outside the E5 police precinct, Emerson SJP member recalls moments arrests unfolded
The lawn outside the E5 police precinct in West Roxbury was filled with activity as students awaited the release of the arrested protesters inside the building. Supplies like food and masks were being handed out by the Boston Area Liberation Medi Squad, an organization that provides support and comfort for people being released from arrest.
Amrita Bala, an Emerson SJP organizer, came to the E5 location in solidarity with the rest of the arrested students. She was released from the E18 precinct in Hyde Park earlier this morning.
During last night’s protest, Bala said she was stationed on the Massachusetts State Transportation Building side of the student barricades about two or three rows back from the front of human barricades. She described police tearing down tables and umbrellas that students were using to protect themselves.
“It was horrifying…They just started ripping us from the crowd, throwing us down on the ground,” Bala said. Bala explained that students had prepared themselves for tear gas by sheltering under umbrellas, but that tear gas was not used.
“I got arrested pretty early, so I didn’t see what had happened after me, but they started using their batons a lot,” she said. “They started beating people, even people who weren’t arrested, dragging them on the ground.”
Bala said that among the protesters, there have been many injuries resulting from the use of police force. Upon arrest, zip ties were used to bind students’ wrists behind their backs.
“My zip ties weren’t as tight…[but] people have open wounds from the zip ties [and how tight they were],” Bala said.
She said that she was loaded into a police van with eight other students before being transported to Hyde Park.
“For us, we were first in one big [holding cell] together, and then they split us up, and we were in individual cells.”
April 25 at 1:45 pm – Protesters continue to be released from police precincts
Protesters continue to be released at West Roxbury E5 police precinct. The exact number of protesters inside is still unknown. Other precincts, like Jamaica Plain E13, have reportedly released all protesters, according to a source on the scene.
One of the first protesters who was released, not affiliated with Emerson, told the Beacon that it was “a beautiful encampment…I am proud to be there with the students and continue to support the program,” the protester, in his 40s, said.
April 25 at 1:48 p.m. – Police body camera footage obtained
The Berkeley Beacon has obtained part of the Boston Police Department camera footage as part of our reports.
In a body camera clip, officials can be seen giving a dispersal warning at approximately 1:33 a.m.
“We don’t want to arrest anybody,” an officer said. “We support your right to protest.”
In one body cam clip, an official can be seen reading the city ordinance over a megaphone on a BPD vehicle at 1:35.
“On October 25, 2023, the city council passed and the major signed an ordinance related to the unlawful camping on public property,” he said.
Arrests began at approximately 1:45 a.m., according to our on-scene reporters.
April 25 at 1:29 p.m. – College adds 2B alley to prohibited demonstration list
The college sent an email to the Emerson community saying to ensure campus safety following Thursday morning’s arrests, Boylston Place Alley will be added to the list of areas on campus where demonstrations are prohibited, effective immediately and through the weekend, the email said.
“During this time, the alley will have enhanced security presence,” the email said. “Please note that Emerson’s Policy on Demonstrations provides that the College may determine the time, place and manner of demonstrations which may interfere with College operations.”
April 25 at 1 p.m. – JAZ expresses support for encampments
According to JAZ’s Instagram post, five JAZ members were arrested. JAZ students, the post said, continues to “advocate for a liberated Palestine, even when it means facing brutal and abusive riot police.”
JAZ said that it has remained “kind, welcoming, and accomodating” for all Jewish students hoping to celebrate Passover inside the encampment.
They added that Bernhardt has “failed the Jewish community.”
“He allowed us to be brutalized, beat, and arrested in the name of ‘protecting’ our community,” JAZ said in the post.
April 25 at 12:54 p.m. – City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune releases statement
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune released a statement on social media about the arrests.
“The right to protest is sacred. Academic spaces have historically served as catalysts for transformative social movements, underscoring the importance of student-led protests on matters of human and civil rights,” said Louijeune on X. “Many of the rights we hold dear were secured via protest.”
Louijeune added that it is essential that all students deserve to feel safe on their campuses.
“It’s equally essential to emphasize that on college campuses, all students, regardless of ideology or identity, have the right to feel safe, heard, and protected,” said Louijeune. “Jewish students, Muslim students – ALL of our students have a right to feel safe.”
Louijeune went on to caution against “heavy-handed responses to protest.” While she noted that there are public safety concerns, she said that the presence of tents alone in the 2B alley does not turn a peaceful protest into an unpeaceful one.
“My office is continuing to monitor the situation at Emerson College and other campuses,” said Louijeune. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that students who choose to exercise their right to protest are met with dignity and respect.”
Louijeune added that the case against peaceful protesters should be dismissed.
April 25 at 12:35 p.m. – Mayor Wu says she supports Boston police encampment arrests
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told WCVB-TV she supports the actions of BPD and the handling of the encampment protests.
According to WCVB-TV, Wu said she spent Thursday morning reviewing Boston police body cam video from officers who were present at the protest.
“We have to be a city where everybody is safe. That is my primary mission. I know that events happening around the world are incredibly painful. We have to be a community where everybody can express their views safely,” Wu said in a WCVB-TV newscast.
Wu said she will continue monitoring the body cam that recorded the arrests, but “future protests cannot create fire hazards anywhere in the city,” WCVB-TV wrote.
April 25 at 12:28 p.m. – Bernhardt provides update to Emerson community
President Jay Bernhardt sent an email to the Emerson community notifying them of the arrests and stating that they were made by the Boston Police Department “with support from the Massachusetts State Police.”
“Overnight, as anticipated and noted in our email to campus yesterday, law enforcement officials cleared the tent encampment at Boylston Place Alley, resulting in the arrests of more than 100 protesters,” Bernhardt said in his email.
According to the statement, Emerson officials were on-site during the arrests and today as students are arraigned.
The President also pointed students to the Healing and Advocacy Collective for support, and expressed “respect” for the activism on campus.
“Emerson College recognizes and respects the civic activism and passion that sparked the protest in Boylston Place Alley in support of Palestine while also holding and communicating concerns related to the numerous ordinance violations caused by their encampment,” he said. “We also understand that clearing the encampment has significantly and adversely impacted our community.”
April 25 at 11:42 a.m. – 108 confirmed arrests, according to Boston Police Department
108 protesters were arrested early this morning, according to a Boston Police Department spokesperson, the same number as the Columbia arrests that students were expressing solidarity for. It is not currently confirmed how many were Emerson College students. Officials say most, if not all, protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace.
Four officers were transported to local hospitals, three with minor injuries and one with “more serious injuries.” BPD did not report any injured protesters, but several eyewitness videos show what SJP described.
The following video was released by Working Mass (@DSAWorkingMass) on X.
“Police dragged, physically assaulted, and arrested peaceful protesters,” the Boston Chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) said in a statement on Instagram.
Additionally, Beacon reporters on the scene saw several police officers piling on a single person’s body as well as blood on the ground.
BPD officials did not have an immediate comment when asked about the communication with ECPD, administration, and BPD at the time of arrests.
April 25 at 11:08 a.m. – American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts executive director responds to arrests
Carol Rose, American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts executive director, provided a statement about the arrest of 108 protesters in the 2 Boylston “Popular University Encampment.”
“Protest is a central part of Boston’s history, including political expression and activism at local colleges and universities. From large demonstrations against the Vietnam War to ongoing demonstrations related to the conflict in Israel and Palestine, such student advocacy plays an essential role in academic communities and our democracy.
Last night’s police response to demonstrations at Emerson College risked the safety and well-being of all in the area. While authorities may enforce reasonable restrictions to ensure access to public ways and to avoid disruption to school activities and services, we are concerned that campuses and law enforcement nationwide are increasingly cracking down on political expression, rushing in police to arrest protesters, and authorizing aggressive treatment.
There is a distinction between removing encampments to ensure safe access to a public right of way and using physical violence against students engaging in peaceful expression. City and campus officials should take great care to distinguish between the two; if the alley is considered a public way for purposes of Boston’s anti-tent ordinance, then it is also a public way for purposes of free speech. Students and other Boston residents should be able to voice their support for Palestine or Israel without fear of becoming a target of the Boston Police Department.
Such forceful clampdowns on protests have serious implications for free speech rights on every issue. Let’s be clear: It’s an election year with so much at stake for freedom, justice, and our democracy itself. Especially now, colleges and universities have a responsibility to shore up their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent.”
April 25 at 10 a.m. – Court hearings postponed
According to an Emerson SJP Instagram post, court hearings were postponed due to no judges being present. SJP asked supporters to attend precincts.
April 25 at 7:40 a.m. – All classes canceled
President Jay Bernhardt and Interim Vice President and Provost Jan Roberts-Breslin sent an email to the community announcing that all classes were canceled on Thursday.
April 25 at 6:31 a.m. – 2B residents stay in place lifted
Interim ECPD Chief Robert Casagrande sent a community advisory stating the protest in the 2B alley is “over.” 2B residents were now allowed to move around freely. Community members were advised to avoid the alley as “an extensive clean-up effort” was underway.
April 25 at 5:00 a.m. – FSJP Faculty provides support for released students
Members of FSJP opened up the Cultural Center in 172 Tremont to be a safe space for students following the events in the 2 Boylston Place Alley. Room 406 was open to both students on campus seeking comfort and released students returning from police precincts.
Food and counseling were available. Arrested protestors also were assisted in finding their belongings, including personal backpacks and cell phones left in the alley early Thursday morning.
April 25 at 3:14 a.m. – Emerson SJP says over 100 students arrested
According to an Emerson SJP Instagram story post, over 100 students have been arrested and are being sent to multiple precincts across the city. In the post, Emerson SJP asks viewers to call as many precincts as they can, including A1, B2, A7, B3, D4, E18, and C6.
We have been unable to confirm the exact number of arrested students as BPD has not been responsive at this time.
April 25 at 3:11 a.m. – Jim Hoppe & Shaya Gregory Poku speak to remaining protesters
Vice President & Dean of Campus Life Jim Hoppe and Vice President for Equity and Social Justice Shaya Gregory Poku were seen on an Instagram live stream via @alexakpi12 exiting the Walker Building. They spoke to a crowd of remaining protesters and told them to leave and go to the precincts. Hoppe said he arrived on “concerns that there would be more arrests.”
Some protesters were heard asking Hoppe who called the police to make the arrests.
Hoppe and Poku were then seen escorting students through police barricading the sidewalk to Piano Row. Students had the option to stay or voluntarily go with Hoppe or Poku.
Hoppe was earlier seen speaking with faculty shortly before arrests began, according to a live stream by @FSJPemerson.
April 25 at 3:01 a.m. – Additional Boylston Street arrests
As protestors continue to chant in front of Tatte, four more students have been arrested, according to a Beacon reporter. The protesters were instructed to be moved or arrested by police. The four that were arrested were originally sitting on the Boylston Street crosswalk and continued to remain seated after police orders. The four arrested were loaded into a police van.
April 25 at 2:35 a.m. – Police found checking bags in 2B
A Beacon reporter on the scene found police officers searching through backpacks after forcing protesters out of the alleyway.
April 25 at 2:33 a.m. – Arrested students being held
According to @SJPemerson on Instagram, male students are being held at the A1 precinct and females are being held at the C6 precinct.
April 25 at 2:33 a.m. – Arrests continue on either side of alley
Approximately 37 students have been arrested and have exited through the Massachusetts Transportation Building, according to a Beacon reporter waiting nearby Chipotle. This number continues to grow and does not include arrests made at the other end of the alley.
April 25 at 2:23 a.m. – Police put up crime scene tape
According to a source on the scene, police could be seen putting crime scene tape spanning the crosswalk from the end of Boylston Street adjacent to Tatte Bakery and Cafe to the T Station.
Police can be seen on a live stream via @ethanxcxc on Instagram holding batons as protesters facing them chant, “This is what community looks like” and “Who are you protecting.”
At 2:31 a.m., police could be seen on the live stream taking the crime scene tape down. At 2:33 a.m., a Boston police car drove onto Boylston Street from Tremont Street, momentarily dispersing the crowd of protesters.
April 25 at 2:19 a.m. – Emerson SJP posts about arrests
Emerson SJP posted on its Instagram story calling for more supporters to come to the encampment as police continued to arrest protesters.
April 25 at 2:01 a.m. – Surrounding students react
Students living in the 2 Boylston Place residence hall could be heard banging on the windows of their rooms facing the scene of the arrests, according to a live stream via @FSJPemerson on Instagram.
Several individuals could also be seen in the Sensory Friendly Dining Room. Individuals in the 2B lobby have not yet been permitted to leave the building. Many students rushed into these buildings as arrests began.
April 25 at 1:45 a.m. – Arrests begin
Arrests have begun on the Boylston Street side of the “Popular University Encampment,” according to a live stream via @muslimjusticeleague on Instagram.
Arrests can also be seen being made towards the Massachusetts Transportation Building, according to a live stream via @FSJPemerson on Instagram.
“The whole world is watching,” an FSJP member can be heard chanting as arrests continue.
It is currently unknown how many students have been arrested. Reporters on the scene describe several arrested students seated in the Massachusetts Transportation Building with their hands behind their backs.
April 25 at 1:43 a.m. – Seven police vans arrive in front of alley
Seven police vans arrived at the Boylston Street side of the “Popular University Encampment,” according to Beacon reporters and a live stream via @muslimjusticeleague on Instagram.
April 25 at 1:33 a.m. – Police issue dispersal warning to student organizers
According to on-scene reporters and in a video posted on X by user @DSAWorkingMass, a police officer arrived at the alley and re-iterated a City of Boston ordinance, stating that he did not want any students to be arrested. He continued speaking but was not heard over the sound of protesters chanting.
April 25 at 12:48 a.m. – ECPD Interim Chief Robert Casagrande, Housing & Residential Education advise students to “avoid the area” of 2B
ECPD Interim Chief Robert Casagrande sent a community advisory regarding demonstrations, noting that officials “are advising the residents of 2 Boylston Place to remain in their residence and all other students to avoid the area.” Casagrande added that updates will be provided as circumstances change.
Housing and Residential Education sent a similar email to residents living in 2B asking them to remain in their rooms. The email continued that students who are not currently in their rooms in 2B should “wait until [they] receive a confirmation email of the de-escalation of the demonstration to return to the building.”
April 25 at 12:30 a.m. – Student affairs inform those in alley of buildings to retreat to
A member of student affairs went around letting people know where to go in case chaos broke out. The sensory dining room was allocated for high-risk students, including international and students with disabilities.
April 25 at 12:25 a.m. – Increased police presence in surrounding areas of encampment
In response to the “Popular University Encampment” in the 2B Alley, an increased police and first responder presence has been reported on the Stuart Street side of the Massachusetts Transportation Building.
Reporters on the scene describe a “very heavy” police presence, with approximately 12 state trooper vehicles, seven police cars, two BPD holding vans, two Boston firetrucks, and three ambulances lining Charles Street behind 10 Park Plaza. It is reported that 20-30 officers wait inside the Massachusetts Transportation Building, which is currently closed to the public.
April 24 at 11:24 pm – State Police enter 2B residence hall
A Massachusetts State Police officer escorted by ECPD came from the bike room to the 2 Boylston Place residence hall. In response, more residents from 2B began to watch from common rooms and dorm room windows.
April 24 at 10:50 pm – Additional police arrive on scene, reporters met with pushback
More police arrived on the scene, and began to file into the Massachusetts Transportation Building, according to a Beacon reporter in the alley. While investigating, the reporter was told they could not enter the Transportation Building as it was being shut down and that they were not allowed to take pictures or videos.
April 24 at 10:30 pm – Police begin to arrive, protesters form human chains
Police began to arrive outside the City Place exit of the Massachusetts Transportation Building, according to a Beacon reporter in the alley. In response, protesters tightened human chains on each exit to the alley, each containing about three rows of people.
April 24 at around 10 p.m. – Emerson SJP issues statement to Mayor Wu, Bernhardt
In an Emerson SJP Instagram post, organizer Amina Adeyola spoke in front of a crowd of other student protesters and local TV reporters, calling upon Mayor Michelle Wu and President Jay Bernhardt to “protect their constituents of color.”
“What [Bernhardt] has reiterated constantly is that the alleyway is public property,” Adeyola said in her statement. “Under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Transit Authority. In that case, we recognize that it is more likely than not, it will be the Boston Police Department deployed to clear this area– not Emerson PD.”
According to the post, there were eight state police cars outside the encampment at the time the statement was made. Adeyola called specifically upon Wu to protect students as they “face imminent danger and risk of intense harm at the hands of the police that she can choose not to deploy.”
“Mayor Wu, we implore you to protect us, students of color under your jurisdiction,” she said.
