US police forcibly remove headscarf of woman taking part in pro-Palestine protest

Police in the US Southeast forcibly removed a headscarf from a woman taking part in a pro-Palestine protest at a university, as shown in footage of the incident.

Footage from Arizona State University posted late Monday, which quickly went viral, shows the police forcibly removing the headscarf of a woman while she tries to cover her hair with material from her dress. The woman's face is pixelated and not seen.

Azza Abuseif, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Arizona, released a statement saying: “The First Amendment guarantees the free practice of religion.

"Police cannot suspend this right. We condemn the reported actions of ASU police and call for a full investigation into this incident.”

Stating that there are reports that the headscarves of at least four women detained in the demonstrations were removed, Abuseif said CAIR Arizona is looking into the incident.

Several people were reportedly detained at a demonstration at Arizona State University on Saturday.

Protests are sweeping college campuses nationwide following a police attempt to clear a pro-Palestine encampment at New York's Columbia University, resulting in the arrest of over 100 students.

Students in several other countries including Canada, Australia, France, and Egypt, have held demonstrations at their universities in solidarity with Palestine.