About 100 people were detained during a pro-Palestinian protest at Northeastern University's Boston campus on Saturday morning, according to university officials. The university's police department, with the assistance of local law enforcement, began clearing an "unauthorized encampment" early in the morning.

Northeastern University released a statement stating that what initially started as a student demonstration had been infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to the university. The university condemned the use of anti-Semitic slurs, including the phrase "Kill the Jews," which were reported to have been uttered during the protest.

A video circulating online shows a counterprotester holding an Israeli flag making a statement that was met with boos from other protesters on campus. It is unclear if the individual who made the antisemitic remarks was among those arrested.

The leading student organization behind the protest, Huskies for a Free Palestine (HFP), disputed the university's statement, calling it a "false narrative." HFP accused the administration of using the antisemitic phrase as justification to detain over 100 Northeastern faculty, workers, and students. The university spokesperson emphasized that such language has no place on any campus.

Northeastern University clarified that students who provided a valid Northeastern ID were released and would face disciplinary proceedings within the university, rather than legal action. Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.

Videos shared on HFP's Instagram account depicted the arrest of what the group claims were primarily non-violent students, as police officers in riot gear were seen on campus. Protesters were heard chanting slogans such as "Free, free Palestine" and "Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest."

HFP alleges that Northeastern University has failed to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in Gaza. They also demand that the university disclose its current financial investments, divest from Israeli companies and others profiting from the war, denounce Israel's actions, and call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Northeastern University is one of several institutions across the United States and Canada where students have been protesting for Palestinian human rights. Similar demands for divestment from companies involved in the conflict and financial transparency from university administrations have been raised at schools such as Columbia, the University of Southern California, and Emory.

In separate incidents, arrests were made at Arizona State University and Indiana University as authorities cracked down on encampments. At Arizona State University, 69 people were arrested for trespassing, while 23 individuals were detained at Indiana University for failing to comply with the removal of tents and structures that violated university policy. The affiliation of these arrested individuals with the respective universities remains unclear.

Universities assert their support for freedom of speech and the right to protest but are taking action against encampments, which violate school policies.

As the protests for Palestinian human rights continue on campuses across North America, concerns over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role of universities in supporting or divesting from companies involved in the conflict are intensifying.