College protests updates: Police begin dismantling University of Chicago encampment
Police entered the campus encampment early Tuesday, WLS reported.
Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.
Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.
The student protests -- some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments -- have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests.
Latest headlines:
- Over 300 Harvard professors sign letter urging Harvard to negotiate with protesters
- Police begin dismantling encampment at University of Chicago
- MIT students ordered to leave campus encampment
- More than 60 arrests made at UC San Diego
- Harvard president threatens 'involuntary leave' for students who continue encampment
Over 300 Harvard professors sign letter urging Harvard to negotiate with protesters
Over 300 Harvard University professors have signed a letter to the university urging "constructive dialogue" with the peaceful protesters on campus.
"We are concerned that the university has yet to meet with the students to hear their concerns. Instead, the administration has issued escalating threats of punitive disciplinary action, the severity of which the university has not seen in decades," professors wrote.
"We urge the administration to meet and engage in meaningful dialogue with peacefully protesting students," the letter said.
The letter, sent to interim President Alan Garber and interim Provost John F. Manning Tuesday, came after Harvard warned protesters to empty their encampment. The professors are urging Harvard's administration to follow the lead of Brown University and Northwestern University, where encampments ended after school leadership agreed to take steps toward divestment.
"I think so many of us signed this letter because, as faculty, we have a duty of care towards our students. The harshness and scale of the proposed punishment is unprecedented and frankly alarming; these are activities that should be met with dialogue, not punishment," Teju Cole, a Gore Vidal professor of the practice of creative writing at Harvard, said in a statement.
"We are calling on the administration to be fair-minded and set these protests in the context of numerous other protests that have happened here in the past, in response to which the university did the right thing," Cole said.
Police begin dismantling encampment at University of Chicago
Police entered an encampment at the University of Chicago early Tuesday and began dismantling it, according to Chicago ABC station WLS.
LAPD detective to assist UCLA investigation into attack on protesters
UCLA's Chancellor Gene Block said Monday that a detective from the LAPD will join the school's investigation to identify those who were involved in violence against pro-Palestinian protesters on campus last week.
The law enforcement investigation at UCLA is being led by Associate Chancellor and Chief Safety Officer Rick Braziel. Its goal is to "identify the perpetrators of the violence and hold them to account," Block said in a note to the community.
Block said that they have reached out to the FBI for "possible assistance," as well as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón over prosecution.
MIT protesters resist leaving encampment on campus
Protesters at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are resisting orders to leave the encampment on Monday.
Footage from the scene shows protesters toppling the barriers, surrounding the encampment and linking arms.
This comes after MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave students until 2:30 p.m. ET to leave the encampment on campus.
The encampment on MIT's campus, on the Kresge lawn, has been ongoing for more than two weeks, according to Kornbluth.
University of Minnesota strikes agreement to end encampment
The University of Minnesota has reached an agreement to end the student-led encampment on campus.
The university will reopen previously closed buildings and the student coalition has pledged not to organize disruptions during final exams and the commencement ceremony.
Representatives of the student coalition will be given the opportunity to address the Board of Regents at its May 10 meeting over its call for a divestment, students will receive amnesty for their encampment, and the university will also explore an affiliation with Palestinian universities, hosting scholars at risk.
"Our meetings have been grounded in listening, learning, and respect, and I believe they were a very positive first step in reaching mutual understanding. Though the original meeting was scheduled for 30 minutes yesterday, we engaged in constructive conversation for more than 90 minutes. We then met two more times to discuss the proposed agreements," University of Minnesota interim President Jeff Ettinger said in a statement.
"We regret that these meetings did not happen sooner, and have committed to regular meetings moving forward to continue to discuss this coalition’s concerns," Ettinger said.
Ettinger also highlighted that the university supports freedom of expression as a fundamental part of its mission.
"While we do not condone tactics that are outside of our policies, we appreciate student leaders’ willingness to engage in dialogue. I value the challenging and healthy conversations we’ve had," Ettinger said.
