Opposing groups gather at Emory in Atlanta hours after protests lead to arrests

ATLANTA — Simultaneous gatherings were held at Emory University on Thursday evening, hours after an encampment on campus led to clashes with responding officers and multiple arrests.

A small group of Jewish students, local residents and officials stood outside Ali’s Cookies at Emory Village at 7 p.m. for a Passover gathering and to show support for the Jewish community.

Alyssa Achiron, a third year Emory law student and vice president of the Jewish Law Student Association, said the gathering was in response to a pro-Palestinian protest that began around 8 a.m. on the university’s quad.

“I think everyone should protest, I think everyone has an opinion, but I don’t think that people should be nasty,” Achiron said regarding the morning protest.

Following the Thursday morning protest, at least 23 people were booked into the DeKalb County Jail on charges including disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement officers. At least one person was charged with simple battery against a law enforcement officer, while another was charged with aggravated assault and reckless conduct, according to jail records.

Thursday evening, about 30 people stood outside the cookie shop, which is owned by Sagi Shablis, an Israeli who has been in the United States for two years. Achiron said the goal was to stand in solidarity with Jewish students who have been feeling unsafe on campus after several gatherings that have taken place on campus since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

State Rep. Esther Panitch helped put the event together and said they decided to meet off campus to de-escalate tensions between students after the morning protest.

Scott Grubman, an attorney at the Chilivis Grubman law firm, also helped plan the gathering and said the intention was to peacefully get together and show students that they have people they can lean on. He and Achiron expressed that the earlier protest was not sufficiently organized and upset many Jewish students.

“Protests on college campuses are as American as apple pie. And I’m all for that, even ones where I don’t agree with. But obviously, you have to do so in a somewhat orderly fashion. You have to try your best not to intimidate people, not to get in the way of people just trying to go to class. And that wasn’t happening,” he said.

Across the street from Ali’s Cookies, Zoha Muhammad’s father yelled for a ceasefire and an end to “the genocide.” Muhammad said the two of them were on their way to the quad for a protest that began around 6 p.m. but ran into those gathered outside the cookie shop. They decided to stick around, stating that their efforts were more effective there than on campus.

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