UMN officials reach agreement with protesters to end encampment on Northrop Mall
University of Minnesota officials have reached a settlement with pro-Palestinian protesters that will end the encampment on Northrop Mall.
As a result the U reopened buildings on the mall Thursday and tents that had dotted the campus green came down.
As part of the agreement protesters pledged not to disrupt upcoming final exams and commencements at the University. Representatives of the coalition of protesters also will be allowed to the Board of Regents’ May 10 meeting. And, the U agreed to provide as much information as it can on its holdings in public companies with links to the Israeli military.
The encampment was one of several mass demonstrations that have sprung up on college campuses nationwide, as students protest the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian group Hamas. Some of the protests around the country have turned violent and resulted in hundreds of arrests.
The University also promised to “advocate to the Minneapolis City Attorney for lenient remedies for those previously arrested in connection” with protests on campus over the past couple weeks.
The agreement was announced by interim President Jeff Ettinger in his letter to students, faculty and staff. It comes after Ettinger and other officials met with the coalition.
“Following a constructive dialogue with multiple representatives of those protesting, I am pleased to share that we have reached an initial agreement that will end the encampment,” Ettinger said.
The full agreement can be found at tinyurl.com/UofMProtest2024.
Encampments
Dozens of students in the past week moved into some 50 tents along the Northrop Auditorium mall green on the school’s East Bank campus in Minneapolis. At times protesters linked arms as they refused police dispersal orders.
The U had kept 13 buildings along the mall closed this week, including Coffman Union, the Weisman Art Museum and Murphy Hall, forcing some classes to relocate or go online during the final exams of the semester. Nine students were arrested April 23 as the encampments first emerged.
Student protesters at Hamline University also setup an encampment on their campus and occupied the Old Main administrative building.
Protesters have generally sought information on their universities’ investments with Israeli companies and American defense companies that do business with Israel and urged divestment.
Protests across the country
Across the country, college and university administrators also are under pressure from pro-Israeli donors, students and alumni to stay clear of the topic.
The bombardments of Gaza by the Israeli military have followed the events of Oct. 7, when some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed by Hamas and other pro-Palestinian militants in the worst attack on that nation’s soil since the its founding in 1948. More than 240 people were taken hostage. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada and the European Union.
Some Jewish students quoted in the national press said they have felt uncomfortable on their campuses, or pointed out protest chants that had turned explicitly violent and anti-Semitic. On Thursday evening, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas issued a statement saying the “appeasement of pro-Hamas protesters is outrageous.”
“Before President Ettinger even met with the Jewish students, the University sent a message to all students, faculty, and staff announcing an agreement with the protesters who violated U of M policy, openly celebrate Hamas terrorism, and shut down campus this week,” reads their statement.
In his letter, Ettinger said he valued the conversations with protesters that led to the agreement.
“While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress,” Ettinger wrote.
He also noted that “the University supports freedom of expression as a fundamental part of our mission.”
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