WASHINGTON (Agencies): Jill Stein, a US Green Party member and presidential candidate, was arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The arrest occurred during a nationwide crackdown on anti-Israel demonstrations.
Stein, along with her campaign manager and deputy campaign manager, were among 100 individuals detained at a protest camp on the university’s campus. The camp was established to demand the university divest from Boeing, a company that manufactures arms used by the Israeli military in Gaza.
The arrests are part of a larger trend, with police officers detaining hundreds of demonstrators in raids on 21 campuses across the US and Canada. These actions have been encouraged by mainstream Democrats and Republicans but condemned by progressive leftists and libertarian-leaning members of the GOP.
Pro-Israel activists argue that the protests are anti-Semitic, with some claiming that demonstrators have expressed support for Hamas. However, pro-Palestinian demonstrators deny these allegations.
Stein, a Jewish-American activist, has long criticized Israel. She opposes the construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, supports the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, and has accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
Stein ran for president in 2012 and 2016, securing just over 1% of the popular vote in the 2016 election. She has announced her intention to run for the presidency again, promising environmental reforms and a new foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, and human rights.