DURHAM, N.H. — A coalition of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of New Hampshire is calling for an independent investigation after an internal review found reason to believe a police crackdown last year violated students’ freedom of speech.
Twelve people, including 10 UNH students, were arrested at a May 1 protest after some participants attempted to set up tents on the front lawn of Thompson Hall in a central part of the Durham campus, eliciting a swift and forceful law enforcement response that outraged some students, faculty, and other community members.
“We demand a thorough, unbiased investigation to ensure justice for the students and to uphold the values of free speech and human rights that UNH claims to represent,’’ the Palestine Solidarity Coalition at UNH said in a statement Tuesday, calling on the university to pay for an outside law firm to conduct an external review.
UNH President Elizabeth S. Chilton, who stepped into her role in July, has not committed to seeking such an independent investigation. In a note to the UNH community last week, Chilton said she and others would evaluate recommendations from the internal review and propose further actions in the coming weeks. She is expected to share updates on Feb. 11 during her State of the University speech.
In the days leading up to the demonstration at UNH last spring, officials were already on edge, as encampments at other schools around the country had sparked protracted disputes over the appropriate limits of on-campus speech and conduct amid heated debate over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
Concerns about what might happen at UNH were shared by then-governor Christopher T. Sununu, who told reporters on May 1 that pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country had been driven by “pure antisemitism.’’ Sununu directed New Hampshire State Police to make troopers available nearby in case they were needed at UNH that day, according to records released by the university.
The actions that UNH Police Chief Paul Dean took on his own before calling for backup are of particular interest to those who have scrutinized the law enforcement response. Dean has denied accusations that he escalated the situation, though video recorded by a bystander shows him wearing plainclothes as he tussled with protesters on his own, in an apparent effort to prevent participants from erecting a tent in violation of university policy.
The UNH Police Department doesn’t have any body-worn camera footage to document Dean’s initial verbal and physical contact with demonstrators, according to Karyl R. Martin, deputy general counsel for the University System of New Hampshire, who responded to a public records request from the Globe.
The internal review at UNH concluded Dean’s actions “objectively escalated the tension, emotion, and stakes’’ at the scene. Calling in the troopers, rather than having university officials pursue dialogue, resulted in “a radical escalation’’ that led to physical confrontations by police and protestors alike, according to a 15-page final report.
The report recommended major changes to oversight of the UNH Police Department, and called for an independent investigation into what transpired.
“The investigators should consult directly with UNH students harmed by the actions and publish a report that addresses accountability for police action, both on the day and in subsequent statements,’’ the final report states.
Dean left his job at UNH this month to take on a new role as director of citizen services for Governor Kelly A. Ayotte, who was inaugurated two weeks ago.
In a statement released to the Globe on Wednesday, Ayotte defended Dean and said campus leaders across the country were forced to respond to a wave of antisemitic protests and instances of Jewish students being targeted.
“In New Hampshire, we did it right,’’ she said, “and I am proud of the way law enforcement protected the safety of students on campus.’’
Organizers and participants in the protests at UNH have disputed the notion that their criticism of the Israeli government’s actions is antisemitic.
In addition to demanding an independent investigation, the Palestine Solidarity Coalition at UNH called for officers to be disciplined for misconduct and prosecuted, for university officials to be fired, and for UNH to issue a formal apology and divest from weapons manufacturers and other companies the coalition said are “complicit in war crimes, genocide, apartheid, and occupation of Palestine.’’
Palestinian health authorities have attributed the deaths of more than 46,600 people to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and took hundreds of hostages. Researchers estimate the actual death toll in Gaza may be significantly higher.
Most of the 12 people who were arrested May 1 reached a deal with UNH police to avoid criminal prosecution. At least one person reached a diversion agreement last fall with the Strafford County Attorney’s Office, according to court records.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com.