Organizers: Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after occupying U of M building
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Protest organizers say students have been arrested in connection with occupying a building on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus on Monday evening.
The University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society chapter initially asked students to protest at 3 p.m. Monday, which is the first day of homecoming events at the U.
The organization said in a social media post soon after that students were occupying the building to demand the University of Minnesota divest from Israel and weapons manufacturers, among other asks.
The university sent a campus alert at 4:39 p.m. saying “protestors have entered Morrill Hall on the East Bank, causing property damage and restricting entrance and exit from the building,” and advising people to leave the building and stay away from the area. Students for a Democratic Society said it was not restricting entering or exiting of the building.
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U police were in the area soon after the occupation began. Students for a Democratic Society posted that students were arrested and taken to the Hennepin County Jail.
Minnesota Daily, the University of Minnesota's student newspaper, reported that police entered the building around 5:45 p.m. and arrested about 11 people.
Sophomore Juliet Murphy, who is a media representative for Students for a Democratic Society, was outside the building during the protests. She said they occupied Morrill Hall because of its history.
In 1969, Black students occupied Morrill Hall for 24 hours as part of the Civil Rights Movement. The occupation spurred the creation of the U’s Department of African-American and African Studies.
“And I think we’re kind of calling it out at this point and saying, ‘You have always taught us that we should stand up for what we believe in, we should be the motivators for change, but yet, when it no longer benefits you, it doesn’t seem like you really want to continue having those conversations. It doesn't seem like you really care about listening to your diverse student body,’” Murphy said.
The occupation comes after extensive protests for divestment in the spring semester. In April, students took to the U of M’s Northrop Mall with tents, joining student encampment movements nationwide. Nine people, mostly students or recent students, were arrested during those protests but charges for trespassing and refusing to depart were later dismissed.
Student organizers struck a deal with administrators in May to end their encampment. In exchange, the university agreed to disclose its investments in Israel, which it did a week later. Students from the pro-divestment coalition, and from anti-divestment Jewish student organizations, were also given a chance to speak at a Board of Regents meeting in May.
The University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents voted in August to reject student calls for divestment from Israel — and to block most future student divestment campaigns.
The university also rolled out guidelines this summer stating demonstrations must be limited to 100 people and end by 10 p.m., and that they cannot use tents nor remain in buildings after scheduled closing hours, among other rules. Violation can result in immediate interim suspension, arrest and being barred from campus.
This is a developing story, check back for updates. Estelle Timar-Wilcox and Cari Spencer contributed reporting.