Newark Mayor Arrested Newark's Stand

On May 9, 2025, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and several other individuals were arrested during a protest at Delaney Hall, a dormitory at Rutgers University-Newark. The protest stemmed from the university administration's decision to suspend and threaten expulsion of student activists involved in the Rutgers Coalition for Justice in Palestine (RCJP). The RCJP was protesting against Rutgers' investment in companies profiting from Israel's actions in Palestine, demanding the university disclose and divest from these entities. The article criticizes the university's actions as a suppression of free speech and a capitulation to pressure from pro-Israel groups and wealthy donors. It accuses Rutgers of prioritizing financial interests over the rights of its students to protest and advocate for human rights. The protest at Delaney Hall was targeted because the dormitory houses university President Jonathan Holloway. Protestors aimed to bring attention to Holloway's role in the administration's decisions regarding the RCJP and its demands. The article frames Baraka's participation and arrest as an act of solidarity with the student protestors and a defense of democratic rights against corporate and political influence. It alleges that the university's actions are part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/05/10/yiub-m10.html