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The volume and intensity of pro-Palestinian protests on campuses appears to have decreased in recent weeks from its febrile peak in late April. However, this week, leaders at two campuses where protests have continued to smolder called on law enforcement to intervene.
Police on Wednesday regained control over a lecture hall occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Irvine, Reuters reports. Hundreds of officers, who collectively represented about 10 nearby agencies, stormed the building in riot gear and then cleared an encampment that had stood for more than two weeks, according to The Los Angeles Times. At least 50 protesters, including students and faculty, were arrested, according to the Times.
However, UC Irvine spokesperson, Tom Vasich, told Reuters there were a “minimal number of arrests,” characterizing the protesters as “begrudgingly cooperative.” All classes were held remotely on Thursday as a safety measure.
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement released late Wednesday that he was “brokenhearted,” and that he had been “prepared to allow a peaceful encampment to exist on the campus without resorting to police intervention,” despite the setup violating policies and distressing many in the community.
“It was terrible to see that [the encampment protesters] would dramatically alter the situation in a way that was a direct assault on the rights of other students and the university mission,” Gillman said.
On Thursday morning, police arrived at DePaul University in Chicago to dismantle an encampment which had been in place on a campus quad since April 30. Even after the camp was taken down, protests continued outside the now fenced off quad, according to CBS News Chicago. Only two individuals were arrested for obstruction of traffic.
University president Robert Manuel said in a letter to students and staff that there had been efforts to reach a “shared resolution,” but conversations with the DePaul Divestment Coalition were unsuccessful.
“Every person currently in the encampment will be given the opportunity to leave peacefully and without being arrested,” the president warned before officers arrived. “I urge all there to leave peacefully and return home.”
Protests are also beginning to seep into the summer term. At Florida International University, which ended its spring term on April 20, students from the campus chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America have established “a liberated zone for Palestine.” The demonstration, which began Wednesday, has so far operated within the bounds of campus protest regulations allowing it to run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
