Arrests made at pro-Palestinian protest outside Hillary Clinton speech in Belfast

LONDON -- Four men were arrested Thursday during a pro-Palestinian protest outside a speech being given by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Queen’s University in Belfast.

Clinton, who holds the largely ceremonial role of chancellor at the school in the capital of Northern Ireland, was speaking on the final day of the Global Innovation Summit 2024. The gathering included political, business and academic leaders discussing economic inclusion and global sustainability, the university said.

Protesters with Palestine flags carried a cut-out of Clinton depicted with blood on her hands and chanted “shame.” Video footage showed protesters engage in angry exchanges and scuffles with police outside the hall where Clinton was speaking.

Police said four men were arrested for public order offenses.

Queen’s University said in a statement that it respected peaceful protest but condemned the behavior of a small number of demonstrators.

“Queen’s University has led the way in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East through calling for a ceasefire, providing scholarships for Palestinian students and divestment policies and has responded positively to the concerns of our university population where appropriate,” the university said in a statement.

Clinton said Belfast was “reinventing itself” after decades of conflict and referred to the celebration last year of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 that largely brought peace to Northern Ireland.