On Friday, the District of Columbia police department declined a request from George Washington University (GWU) officials to clear an “encampment” of students and others protesting Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza. The District police cited the “optics of moving against a small group of peaceful protestors” as one of the reasons for not acting.
D.C. police rejected pleas from George Washington University officials to clear pro-Palestinian demonstrators out of an on-campus encampment early Friday morning, saying they worried about the optics of moving against a small number of peaceful protesters, according to two officials familiar with the talks.
Officers were prepared to move in early Friday morning but were ordered to stand down.
Officers had assembled around 3 a.m. and were prepared to enter the encampment, but senior leaders in the police chief’s and mayor’s office ordered…
