A US professor was forcefully knocked down and handcuffed by police officers amid escalating pro-Palestine protests at universities across the country. The incident, captured on video by CNN reporters, showed Professor Caroline Fohlin trying to intervene as police wrestled a student protester to the ground during a demonstration at Emory University in Atlanta.
In the footage, Professor Fohlin can be heard telling the officers to “get away” from the student before she was knocked to the ground by one official. Another officer then joined in to restrain her, eventually handcuffing her as she repeatedly identified herself as a professor.
The protests initially began at Columbia University and quickly spread to other campuses, with more than 200 people being arrested at universities in Los Angeles, Boston, and Austin, Texas. The epicenter of the student protest movement has remained at Columbia University, where tensions have continued to rise.
Student protesters have been expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 34,000. The conflict escalated after a Hamas attack on October 7, prompting Israel to launch a military operation in Gaza. The violence has resulted in hundreds of casualties and hostages, with both sides facing international scrutiny.
As police continue to make arrests and disperse protests using force, the situation remains tense on university campuses across the United States. The clash between pro-Palestine demonstrators and law enforcement reflects the deep-rooted divisions and passionate activism surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.