U. of C. students set up pro-Palestine encampment on campus as protests spread

Hundreds of University of Chicago students set up an encampment in the university’s Main Quadrangle on Monday, joining groups on over 100 university campuses nationwide in support of Palestinians living in Gaza.

The demonstration comes after five days of protest at Northwestern University’s Evanston campus, where students and faculty occupied Deering Meadow as they called on the school to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

“From this divestment campaign to the divestment campaigns all around the world, we demand divestment, repair, justice, freedom for all Palestinians,” Moon G., an incoming master’s student at the University of Chicago Divinity School, told the crowd.

Rayna A., a senior at the University of Chicago who helped organize the encampment, said the protesters also want more money allocated to education and housing on the South Side. She said the university “refuses to be in conversation” about the demands and turned down requests for a public meeting regarding divestment from Israel in the fall.

University President Paul Alivisatos said in a statement the school aims to provide “the greatest leeway possible for free expression.” The school will only intervene if the free expression “blocks the learning or expression of others” or “meaningfully disrupts the functioning or safety of the University.”

The encampment violates the university’s policies against building structures without prior approval and overnight sleeping on campus, he said.

“Given the importance of the expressive rights of our students, we may allow an encampment to remain for a short time despite the obvious violations of policy—but those violating university policy should expect to face disciplinary consequences,” Alivisatos said.

A noontime rally was punctuated with the chant: “Disclose. Divest. We will not stop. We will not rest.” Nearby, Israeli flags hung on a line strung between two lamp posts.

Police officers stood about fifty feet away from the encampment and appeared not to disrupt the protest or tents. But ever since Columbia University President Minouche Shafik authorized the New York Police Department to dismantle the student encampment there, students have been worried about escalation.

Rayna said that organizers have learned skills to keep their communities safe, but “safety is never guaranteed.”

A junior, who is Jewish and asked not to be identified, said she felt “jarred” when she saw people she knew participating at the encampment. The junior, who has family in Israel, said she has a religious connection to the region.

“We’ve seen [encampments] on other campuses, and it hasn’t turned out well, especially for Jewish students,” she said. “People are scared.”

Adam Gottlieb, the Poet in Residence at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, said he wanted to have conversations with people who seemed open. He spoke to passersby for two hours, discussing possible ways forward with the conflict.

“There are some important conversations happening here,” Gottlieb said. “I’m interested in finding what middle ground is possible with people who say ‘We stand for human rights for all.’”

A ‘sustainable and de-escalated path forward’ at Northwestern

Students and faculty mounted pro-Palestinian protests at several Chicago universities and colleges last week, including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago and Roosevelt University.

Students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign also set up an encampment last week, resulting in two arrests on Friday. An undergraduate spokesperson for the encampment who asked not to be identified told the Sun-Times Monday, “Nobody here wants to be here. We are here for a goal. And that goal is divestment from Israeli companies …”

“We respect the rights of freedom of speech and expression and remain committed to providing a safe environment for all members of our community,” UIUC spokesperson Robin Kaler said in a statement. “However, we do not allow camping tents to be set up on campus property.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he had “been in touch” with Illinois universities regarding the encampments and protests were interfering with students’ ability to attend class at many schools.

“It is obviously very important to me that we keep order. It’s also important to me that we protect people’s right to protest and their First Amendment rights,” Pritzker said.

By early afternoon Monday, Northwestern University administration announced in a statement it had reached an agreement with protesters to bring the encampment there to an end.

University President Michael Schill said the agreement represents a “sustainable and de-escalated path forward.” The agreement allows protest to continue without tents until June 1, the last day of class. The demonstrators will be allowed to keep one aid tent.

Organizers announced the agreement and spoke before a crowd of about 200 students. They said although the tents have to come down, they plan to continue demonstrating until full divestment is achieved.

As a first step toward divestment, the agreement requires the university to disclose information about any investments to people associated with the university within 30 days of the inquiry. It will also re-establish a committee to advise on investments that will include student representatives. The university also committed to fully funding tuition for five Palestinian undergraduate students, supporting visiting Palestinian faculty and students at risk, providing an immediate temporary space for MENA and Muslim students, and renovating a building for future use.

Organizers said they are sharing some of resources they have collected with the encampment that formed Monday at the University of Chicago.

“What is so beautiful about the fact that we have reached an agreement today … is that the Chicago community does not have to be split between two places,” Jordan, an undergraduate organizer, said about the U of C encampment.

“Whether you joined up on Friday or whether this is your first time here, you are all essential parts of this movement for this win today,” Jordan said.

Contributing: Aidan Sadovi