Case Western protests no longer approved, university officials say
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Officials with Case Western Reserve University announced Thursday that the ongoing protests on campus will no longer be approved.
Students and other pro-Palestine demonstrators have been protesting the conflict in Israel on the Kelvin Smith Library oval since Monday.
The university reached an agreement with protesters earlier this week, allowing students, staff and alumni to stay on campus overnight. However, anyone not affiliated with Case Western had to leave by 8 p.m. and not return until 8 a.m. the next morning.
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In a recent update, the university said protesters broke those guidelines Tuesday evening.
“They have allowed third parties, not currently affiliated with CWRU, to remain,” the university said in a statement. “Some protesters have disrupted university operations and access to university spaces such that some students, faculty and staff feel threatened.”
Case Western officials said the protest at KSL Oval is no longer approved, meaning that protesters who don’t leave will be considered trespassing and in violation of campus policies.
“Students, faculty or staff who break such policies will be held accountable through the respective conduct process. These actions may also result in prosecution of protestors for criminal trespass and other crimes, whether or not they are affiliated with CWRU,” the university said.
Amid the protests, university officials said they are making temporary changes on campus. Those changes include:
All campus buildings will require a CWRU ID to enter, starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 2.
Two buildings by the protest site—Tinkham Veale University Center and Thwing Center—will be closed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting Friday, May 3.
The protesters, along with many across the country, are calling for the end of the Israel-Hamas war. The protesters are also demanding Case to divulge and divest any investments in Israel.
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Earlier this week, the protesters released a statement that reads, in part, “As anti-war protests occur across university campuses in the U.S. with increasing hostility from university administration, CWRU students feel it is imperative to take a stand, as students have always led the way in the anti-war movement.”
Jad Oglesby, a protest organizer and member of Students for Justice in Palestine, previously told FOX 8, “We plan to stay here until our demands are met. We plan to stay here as long as it takes.”
More than 20 people were detained and released on Monday after protesters refused to remove tents.
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