D.C. police clears out encampment at GWU

WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Police moved in to clear the protest encampment on the campus of George Washington University (GWU) early Wednesday morning.

Officers began to clear students and other protesters from the encampment around 3:00am Eastern.

The pro-Palestinian protest had been in place for about two weeks as demonstrators called for an end to the war in Gaza and for the school to divest from company's profiting from the ongoing conflict.

D.C. Police released a statement Wednesday morning saying, "Based on incidents and information, there has been a gradual escalation in the volatility of the protest," which lead to the decision to disperse the demonstrators.

Officers set up a perimeter around the campus to keep the protesters from re-entering.

There are reports that chemical agents were sprayed on the crowd to get them to disperse.

Several protesters were reportedly detained by police as well.

"As soon as they came in, I tried to go back in and get my stuff and the cop shoved me. He had a paintball gun in his hand and he shoved me out. He said if re-entered they would arrest me immediately."

Unidentified protester

"And then the 30 students stayed. and they've been saying, 'We're not leaving', and they did not leave. And then after that, as you just saw, the cops brutalized the community and other students from other universities...straight in their face. Police grabbed two community members, as far as we know, have been arrested. we saw the cops start shoving. It's on a livestream. The cops were shoving the students first. Shoving them with their bikes, pushing them, putting their hands on them. Physically assaulting them. Pulled out their mace. Sprayed students straight in the eyes, straight in the face. Kept it going."

Mi Ziad, community protester

"People were out here defenseless. Just being nonviolent protesters. Just relaxing, peaceful, sleeping and they run in and riot on them and take their tents and lock them up. I don't know what democracy that is," said one unidentified GWU alumni.