In a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations held at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), 12 individuals were arrested on Wednesday evening, according to local police. Out of those arrested, 10 were identified as students, while the remaining two were not affiliated with the university. The charges brought against them include disorderly conduct and trespassing.

The protesters were taken into custody after ignoring multiple warnings from law enforcement authorities. UNH Police Chief Paul Dean expressed regret over the situation, stating, "We're sorry this had to happen. We're sorry this was made to happen. But we needed to clear this out, we're not gonna have an encampment in the public space, and it simply is not going to happen."

Two individuals, identified as Aiden Turner and Sebastian Rowan, faced a judge on Thursday morning in Dover. They were charged with disorderly conduct, simple assault, and criminal trespass, as they were accused of grabbing Chief Dean after being asked to leave the premises. One of the arrested students, Jason, claimed that the university administration was unable to handle the students' demand to divest half a percent of the university's endowment from companies based in Israel, causing their egos to be fragile.

Turner is scheduled for trial in September, while Rowan has a hearing set for later this month. Both individuals were released on personal recognizance.

Incidents of arrests were not limited to UNH, as protests at Dartmouth College in Hanover also resulted in a dozen people being taken into custody. However, no further details regarding those arrests were provided in the given information.

It remains to be seen how these arrests and the ongoing demonstrations will impact the conversation surrounding divestment from companies based in Israel within the UNH community and beyond. The university administration and law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of all involved.

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