Hundreds of Gaza protesters start at UGA, march through Athens Friday

ATHENS — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered downtown on Friday night, marching from the University of Georgia’s famed Arch entrance to City Hall, the peaceful crowd swelling to more than 300 people.

The “Gaza Solidarity Rally” followed nearly a week of protests on or near the campus of the state’s flagship public university, and came four days after UGA police arrested 16 protesters, including nine students, at a campus demonstration.

The two-hour protest, the largest here this week, criticized Israel’s war in Gaza and was filled with speeches and chants admonishing President Joe Biden and UGA President Jere Morehead. Speakers criticized the university for suspending the arrested students.