Indian-Origin Princeton Student Arrested, Banned Amidst Pro-Palestine Protests On US Campuses

An Indian-origin female student studying at the esteemed Princeton University is one of two students who have been arrested and banned from the campus for organizing pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus.

Achinthya Sivalingan, who was born in Coimbatore and grew up in Columbus, has been prohibited from campus and is subject to disciplinary measures, according to a university representative.

According to a report by the Princeton Alumni Weekly, protesters set up tents for a student-led pro-Palestine encampment in McCosh Courtyard around 7 a.m. on Thursday. Following warnings from University officials, two Princeton students were arrested, prompting the remaining protesters to dismantle their camping equipment and transition the demonstration into a sit-in.

Early Thursday morning, approximately 100 undergraduate and graduate students initiated a sit-in at McCosh Courtyard, joining a series of pro-Palestinian sit-ins occurring across the country.

The protesting students are advocating for colleges to sever their financial connections with Israel and to divest from companies they believe are supporting the violent conflict in Gaza. Certain Jewish students express concerns that the protests have escalated into antisemitism, causing them to feel apprehensive about entering the campus.

Following the initial erection of tents by student organizers, Princeton Public Safety (PSAFE) issued its first warning to protesters. Subsequently, at least two student arrests were reported. After these initial arrests, students dismantled the tents, the Daily Princetonian reported.

Within six minutes of the first tents being set up, the two students, Achinthya Sivalingam GS and Hassan Sayed GS, were arrested.

University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote to the 'Prince,' stating, “The two graduate students have been immediately barred from campus, pending a disciplinary process.”

"No force was used by Public Safety officers when conducting the arrests, which occurred without resistance,” Morrill added.

According to a campus-wide message from Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun on Wednesday morning, students risk arrest and campus prohibition if they persist after receiving a warning to stop.

Urvi, a first-year PhD student, described the arrest as "violent" and stated that zip ties were placed around their wrists.

“They’ve been evicted from their houses and were given under five minutes to get their stuff,” Urvi said.