Indian-Origin Student Arrested In US For Joining Anti-Israel Protests

New Delhi: Achinthya Sivalingam, an Indian-origin woman studying at Princeton University of the US, is among two students arrested recently over pro-Palestine protests on the campus.

Sivalingam, born in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and raised in Columbus, and Hassan Sayed were arrested after student protesters set up tents for an encampment in a university courtyard on Thursday.

“Protesters set up tents for a student-led pro-Palestine encampment in McCosh Courtyard at about 7 am on Thursday. After warnings from University officials, two Princeton students were arrested, and the remaining protesters packed their camping gear and continued the demonstration as a sit-in,” Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW) reported.

Sivalingam and Sayed have also been barred from the campus as setting up tents on the campus violated university policy. But they have not been evicted and will be allowed into their housing.

Sivalingam is a student of Masters in Public Affairs in International Development at Princeton while Sayed is a PhD candidate there.