DC police clear pro-Palestinian encampment at GWU hours before House hearing with mayor, MPD chief

Metropolitan Police Department officers cleared a pro-Palestine protest encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and made arrests ahead of a scheduled hearing with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith on the "District of Columbia’s Response to Radical, Antisemitic, and Unlawful Protests at GWU."

According to local news reports, the police action took place 14 days after GWU officials first asked for help as the protests expanded. There were reportedly dozens of protestors arrested. 

In prepared remarks, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said that Jewish students at GWU "fear for their safety" and "parents fear for their children" while the MPD has "refused" to uphold the law and break up the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus.

“Two weeks ago, a small protest began on the campus of the George Washington University, a private university in D.C. This small protest quickly morphed into a full encampment of a large area on private property. The GWU administration quickly declared the encampment to be unlawful and trespassing on university property, citing both the university code of conduct and D.C. Code," Comer said, according to prepared remarks to be delivered at the hearing with Bowser and Smith.

 “Since then, the administration has repeatedly requested assistance from the D.C. Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Department to clear out unlawful trespassers on campus property. For two weeks, Mayor Bowser and MPD have denied this request," he added.

Comer cited a Washington Post report that said the denial to remove the encampment prior to Wednesday was due to optics.

"Optics should never be the driving factor in determining when the rule of law will be upheld," he said. “As the Committee of jurisdiction over Washington, D.C., we have received countless calls, emails, and requests for action. Jewish students fear for their safety. Parents fear for their children. The university fears its students, faculty, staff, and security team’s safety is at risk.."

Comer said that Bowser and Smith were testifying to "answer questions about why they have not answered that call for help" and explain to GWU students, faculty, District of Columbia residents, and the American people "why the District has refused to ensure their safety and uphold the rule of law."