40 people arrested at pro-Palestine rally in Denver

DENVER (KDVR) — Police officers arrested approximately 40 people at a pro-Palestine demonstration at the Auraria Campus in Denver on Friday after telling the demonstrators they needed to disperse.

According to a release from the Auraria Campus, those who were arrested are facing trespassing charges.

The campus has a no-camping policy, which it says was violated during the demonstration. Campus administrators say police and others gave the campers written and verbal notice several times and when they did not comply officers moved in to remove the encampment and make arrests.

The demonstrators gathered to protest the United States’ support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and also demanded that the university divest from Israeli companies, refuse to accept grants from corporations that contract with U.S. Armed Forces, and terminate the university’s study abroad programs to Israel, along with a few other demands.

Pro-Palestine rally held at Auraria Campus amid growing national protests

On Friday in Denver, demonstrators reported that Denver police officers used a megaphone to tell a group of demonstrators who had set up tents and remained at the site overnight that if they remained at the camp, they would be considered trespassing and would be arrested and prosecuted. In response, demonstrators locked arms in a makeshift, human barricade around their tents.

SkyFOX was over the scene for several hours Friday afternoon. Starting at about 1 p.m. video showed police detaining a handful of people and putting them on a Denver Sheriff’s Department bus. Around 2:30 p.m. the majority of police left the area where about a hundred protesters remained.

However, around 5 p.m., law enforcement returned to the campus after demonstrators set up tents again. The campus asked the public to “avoid the Tivoli Quad” until further notice.

The Denver Police Department issued a statement about their response to the scene:

The protests had effects beyond the campus community. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network announced it would cancel a walk scheduled for Saturday

“We are sorry to share the news that PanCAN has made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person PanCAN PurpleStride Colorado 2024 due to ongoing protests at the event location (Auraria Campus (Tivoli Quad),” the organization said in a statement, in part. “Though we were looking forward to our event tomorrow, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our participants. As a community that has been affected by pancreatic cancer, this is another curve ball we’ve been thrown. But like always, we won’t stop because pancreatic cancer doesn’t slow down and neither do we.”

Auraria campus responds

In a message posted to social platform X, the Auraria Campus administration told students that there are “several large events” on campus Friday, including the Tivoli Quad demonstration.

“Please be assured that campus leadership is actively addressing the situation,” the school wrote.

Auraria is home to the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Community College of Denver. All faculty and staff have official campus badges, the campus stated.

Auraria Campus is adjacent to and shares parking with Ball Arena, where the Colorado Avalanche will host game three of their playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets at 8 p.m.

WATCH: Pro-Palestine protest broken up by police on Auraria Campus

The campus also issued a statement about the demonstration on Friday afternoon.

“Numerous discussions have taken place with the students before yesterday’s demonstration, including a session Thursday night involving Dr. Angie Paccione, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. These engagements have been aimed at attentively hearing and comprehending the students’ perspectives. The Auraria Campus and the three higher education institutions continue to be committed to listening to and collaborating with the students and protecting their right to free speech,” the education center said in part.

The campus went on to say there are people falsely presenting themselves as a higher education institution representative, including those attempting to present themselves as representatives of the Auraria Campus.

“We fully support the right of students to assemble peacefully,” the statement continued. “Still, it’s essential to note that Auraria Campus policy prohibits camping on the premises because of health, safety, and security considerations. Participants set up an encampment and were repeatedly notified that they did not comply with the policy.”

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In an earlier message posted at about 12:30 p.m., the campus told students that “due to civil unrest, please avoid the Tivoli Quad.” At about 12:52 p.m., the account reported that all inbound traffic to the campus was closed, but traffic reopened at 3:04 p.m.

The Denver protest is one of many that have sprung up around the nation, including one of the most prominent at Columbia University where professors joined the students. Many of the protests have resulted in arrests of students, citizens and staff.

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