UWM encampment cleared; university, protest leaders meet

MILWAUKEE - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee leaders met with student protesters on Tuesday, May 14 – part of an agreement reached between the parties on Sunday.

As part of the agreement, protesters would clear an encampment outside Mitchell Hall and university leaders would meet with organizers to discuss the UWM's involvement with companies and groups that do business in Israel.

"We determined we’ve obtained all possible benefits from our encampment. this does not mean we have ended our struggle," said Kayla Patterson with Students for a Democratic Society.

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On Monday, student protest leaders said they want the university to divest from any relationships it has with companies or groups doing business with Israel. It stems from the renewed war in Gaza that followed Hamas militants' killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the abduction of hundreds more. Since, Israel's war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

"Without disclosure, we can’t know what we’re invested in – or not," said Audari Tamayo, UWM junior and member of Students for a Democratic Society. "Disclosure is the bare minimum in transparency, the bare minimum in ‘If they’re not guilty, they need to prove it.’"

As a part of the agreement to break camp, the university said Chancellor Mark Mone and UWM Foundation President David Gilbert and other school administrators met with student protest representatives "to share their concerns and demands regarding the UWM Foundation's investments."

The university said the foundation president didn't offer a timeline, but agreed to share concerns with the board and requested that student protesters submit specific requests and details in writing. UWM said it didn't make promises beyond putting the meeting together, and "trusts that the protesters will abide by the details of the agreement so that all aspects of it remain in effect."

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Over the weekend, Mone reiterated in a statement that state law prohibits UWM from cutting ties with businesses and companies that do business in Israel and directed students to take that up with lawmakers.

Student protesters told FOX6 they would not be speaking on-camera after Tuesday's meeting and would send out a statement. FOX6 reached out to group leaders, but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.

Official statements

UW System President Jay Rothman (via X)

During the illegal encampments at our universities, I condemned the violation of law while expressing full support for the First Amendment. Our universities must be committed to providing an environment where issues can be vigorously and passionately debated, but students must be free from harassment and intimidation. We understand that the current situation is challenging, complex, and not subject to easy resolution. Our public universities have a responsibility to focus on the educational mission in support of all of our students and the state of Wisconsin. Maintaining viewpoint neutrality on challenging public issues is critically important, especially in situations where students and other university stakeholders on multiple sides of an issue are in vehement disagreement. We also need to ensure that there is accountability and responsibility for actions taken on our campuses. I am disappointed by the course taken by UW-Milwaukee, and I am continuing to assess the decision-making process that led to this result.

UWM response to Rothman's statement

UWM is aware of the statement made by Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. Chancellor Mone plans to address the process that led to the peaceful resolution of the encampment and other concerns in a broader statement soon.

Hillel Milwaukee, Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Anti-Defamation League Midwest

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Chancellor Mark Mone capitulated to protesters who violated UWM codes of conduct and state law, vandalized university property, and used harassment and intimidation to fuel antisemitism on campus. The agreement is among the most offensive and dangerous of any university agreement reached with encampment protesters over the last two weeks.

Chancellor Mone’s agreement with protesters comes after seven-plus months of him refusing to meet with Jewish students and failing to adequately respond to antisemitic incidents on campus since October 7. The chancellor’s statement provides no meaningful support to UWM’s Jewish community and fails to acknowledge the fear and pain Jewish community members have endured due to the actions of protesters during the encampment and before.

In contrast, Chancellor Mone gave protesters who fueled hate and violated school policies at UWM a seat at the table and even invited them to nominate individuals and faculty to serve on key university committees and working groups. The chancellor’s decision to grant immunity to individuals who mocked and broke school rules and the law sets a dangerous precedent for future incidents on campus. And, in another desperate attempt to appease the protesters, Chancellor Mone appears to have used his public university position to compel a private company to submit to demands of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Chancellor Mone has been negligent in his duty to ensure all students feel and are safe on campus. We call on the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to immediately negate this agreement and take the aggressive steps necessary to ensure Jewish – and all – students are able to attend UWM and all UW campuses without the threats of harassment, intimidation and hate just because of their identity.

The Water Council

For many years, in pursuit of our mission, The Water Council has shared an open dialogue with water-related organizations around the world in the interest of improving water quality and quantity outcomes for all. Today, the Water Council has 15 members based outside the United States. This open dialogue has included Israeli water technology organizations, including Mekorot, Israel Innovation Authority and Ben-Gurion University, in the interest of sharing innovations and discovering new water technologies.

The Water Council disagrees with the characterization that it has recently ended relationships with Mekorot and Israel Innovation Authority as there has been no activity with these organizations since 2019 and they were never members of The Water Council. Additionally, The Water Council has had no formal ties, ongoing projects or financial interests with any company or organization in Israel or the Middle East in recent history.

The Water Council also wants to emphasize it has no position with respect to accusations regarding Mekorot and Israel Innovation Authority. Any insinuation that The Water Council’s inactivity with Mekorot and Israel Innovation Authority pertains to these accusations is false.

We have tried in recent months to correct the media’s misinformed characterization of The Water Council’s "relationships" with Israeli organizations. Most recently, we clearly stated to reporters that we have no ongoing relationships or activities with Israel, and therefore no relationships to terminate, but the media have decided not to include that explanation in their reporting.\

The Water Council supports the United Nations’ call for access to water and sanitation as a human right available to all people. We will continue to work toward our mission of solving critical water challenges by driving freshwater technology innovation and advancing water stewardship so that all people can have access to clean, abundant freshwater.