At approximately 4:35 a.m. on Tuesday morning, less than an hour after encampment organizers concluded their final rally of the evening, several dozen UCPD officers arrived at the main quad to remove the pro-Palestine encampment. The officers’ arrival came on the ninth day of the encampment, after UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) launched an encampment on the quad outside of Swift Hall at 10 a.m. last Monday, following in the steps of pro-Palestinian groups at numerous other universities that have set up encampments in recent weeks.
Shortly before UCPD officers swept the encampment, two UCPD cars arrived on the main quad. Protesters were informed over a speaker that “the University of Chicago [did] not permit their assembly in this area,” and that they were “hereby notified that [they were] committing criminal trespass by remaining on… private property without permission.”
“Anyone who fails to comply will be criminally charged,” the speaker announced. “Students who fail to comply with this order will be subject to University discipline and immediately placed on leave of absence.”
Protesters, as they had largely returned to their tents to sleep for the night following the rally, had only minutes to comply with orders before UCPD officers entered the encampment. As UCPD officers overturned the encampment’s tents and barriers, protesters chanted in unison, repeating the phrases they had used during their daily rallies over the past week of the encampment. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office was also observed on the scene amidst the raid.
“More than 40,000 dead! You’re arresting kids instead!” Encampment members chanted in a video reviewed and verified by the Maroon from a protester inside the encampment during the sweep.
In an interview shared with the Maroon, an encampment member asserted that “[UCPD] did not give [encampment members] a clear plan for leaving.”
“They came in maybe two minutes after the warning,” the encampment member said. “It’s clear that they waited until after the rally was over. We were at our most vulnerable.”
Protesters could be heard screaming by Maroon staff as the raid went on. At 4:55 a.m., UCPD ordered press, including Maroon staff, to leave the quad. At 6:59 a.m., the University sent an email confirming that no arrests occurred. It is currently unclear if there were any injuries.
In a Telegram message, UCUP encouraged protesters who had not been at the encampment at the time of the raid to return to campus to demonstrate outside of the quad. Protesters gathered near the South Ellis Avenue entrance to the quad and chanted at the line of police donned in riot gear, who set up yellow barricades to separate themselves from the protesters.
Officers then handed out slips of paper with instructions on departing the encampment to the protesters who had gathered. The slips were entitled “Final Notice to Students Participating in Encampment on Main Quad,” and were not handed to protesters inside of the encampment in advance of the raid.
“The Deans on Call and University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) have informed you multiple times that your tents and other items are unauthorized. This is your final warning to leave the encampment.
If you fail to immediately leave, you will be arrested by law enforcement for criminal trespass under the Illinois Criminal Code.
Additionally, failure to immediately leave will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Manual. You will also be immediately placed on emergency interim leave of absence from the University. A student who has been placed on emergency interim leave of absence must promptly vacate University housing, leave campus, cannot participate in student and academic program activities, or use any University facilities, and may not return until the student has been authorized to return from the leave and reenroll.”
The University could not be reached for comment.
This is a developing story. Follow along with live updates here.
Editor’s note, 9:32 a.m.: An original version of this article stating it was unclear at the time of publication whether arrests occurred has since been updated to reflect an email sent by University President Paul Alivisatos at 6:59 a.m. this morning stating no arrests have occurred.
Matthew G. Andersson, '96 Booth MBA / May 9, 2024 at 9:08 pm
It interesting that the actual content of the protest–war crime, genocide and profiteering–ever became a subject of critical thinking, analysis or even comment, among most observers, nor of course of any interest to the University as a corporate entity, or even a teaching-learning opportunity among most faculty. In their world, learning occurs in the four corners of an interior room. Readers may enjoy “When University Leaders Won’t Lead,” cross-posted in Dissident Prof. and Minding the Campus, concerning the University of Chicago.
EightiesAlum / May 8, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Any interesting question (and perhaps a Maroon article topic) would be “How much did the encampment cost?” once totaling up personnel hours, damage, cleanup, etc.
EightiesAlum / May 9, 2024 at 5:16 pm
A subheading might be:
You could buy X years of tuition with the money squandered on the pro-Hamas temper tantrum?
HDT / May 10, 2024 at 2:10 am
Not as much as 35,000 lives. But then that depends on whether you are a supporter of genocide or not, and that is precisely the point of these protests.
student / May 14, 2024 at 2:45 pm
probably not as much as the 60 sets of riot gear and the coming lawsuits…
Robert Berg / May 7, 2024 at 1:28 pm
Several days later than he should have acted, President Alivisatos finally ordered the UCPD to disband the illegal encampment from the Quad. As a Jewish graduate of the Law School and the Business School, I am relieved that our President took the necessary steps to restore the mission of this University and to uphold the Chicago Principles of which we should all be proud.
President Alivisatos’s forbearance until this morning needlessly called into question the University’s commitment to the Chicago Principles. The protesters plainly violated those principles ever since they established their illegal encampment which the University should have prevented at the outset. The U of C has had a tremendously successful relationship with Jewish students, faculty, and staff for many many decades, and that relationship has been sorely strained by the events of the past weeks. Jews should never fear being on their campus, and that hasn’t been true. I’m glad that violence was avoided this morning and that no arrests were made, even if warranted. Let’s move on and address difficult issues with free speech consistent with the Chicago Principles. Thank you President Alivisatos for acting this morning.
student / May 14, 2024 at 2:46 pm
fear does not equate to danger.
the university of chicago has severely damaged its relationship with the dozens of jewish students in the encampment.
Interested Party / May 7, 2024 at 11:50 am
The University handled this well, despite the weak protests coming from some protesters. Protesters were given several days to both negotiate and comply with the appropriate request to dismantle an encampment that was disrupting the primary mission of the institution.
Dr. Alivisatos, based on my brief personal interactions and observations of his demeanor in public appearances seems to be a decent, gentle soul. I imagine this process and the decisions he had made along the way were well thought out, taking into account multiple competing interests, including treating the protesters with decency (despite their screeds claiming otherwise), while keeping the University’s overall mission and best interests intact.
Adam M / May 7, 2024 at 10:39 am
All in all, handled quite well. The encampment had to go. It was a disruption that was inhibiting the university’s primary purposes. That said, I’m glad that it happened without arrests. As much as I disagree with the protestors and their methods, I think the institution benefits if it can avoid criminalizing students and faculty for protest.
MV` / May 7, 2024 at 9:50 am
“[A]n encampment member asserted that ‘[UCPD] did not give [encampment members] a clear plan for leaving.'”
Does “leaving” require “a clear plan”?
It seems that the protesters are grasping at straws with their complaints–the police came in the middle of the night, there were only “minutes to comply,” and “We were at our most vulnerable”. They came in the middle of the night to minimize violent conflict and it appears to have worked. No one seems to have been hurt. And, regardless of how many “minutes” they were given to leave during the raid, the fact remains that the protesters had been given notice several days prior to raid; they all knew they were violating University policy and criminally trespassing by keeping the encampment open. The protesters had nine days to comply and chose not to.
Double Alum / May 7, 2024 at 9:27 am
YES! So relieved that my alma matter is not falling for this nonsense, and letting those geriatric “activists” corrupt another generation of students.
NELC Alum / May 7, 2024 at 8:31 am
FINALLY! I was gonna be pissed if my alma mater ended with the last encampment or with the admin giving into these clowns!
Scott D / May 7, 2024 at 12:46 pm
I’m just pissed that you didn’t learn the difference between “into” and “in to”!
UIUC Rocket Scientist / May 7, 2024 at 8:18 am
The one thing I have noticed about just about all of the raids of terrorists over the years is that they rarely have overnight guards protecting their encampments.
So, it comes as no surprise that the terrorist’s zoom conference last week did not include an instruction on the need to be vigilante and have overnight guards in case of a surprise when you are asleep.
Basic military training emphasizes the need for 24-hour guards on encampments.
UCPD has carefully observed them 24 hours a day and noticed when they had their proverbial pants down on a regular basis.
Bob Michaelson / May 7, 2024 at 10:34 am
Your statement is odd – the “terrorists” are Likud, the IDF, etc., not students peacefully assembled on the UofC campus.
BTW, they were in fact aware that cops would raid at around 3 a.m.
UIUC Rocket Scientist / May 7, 2024 at 1:57 pm
By terrorists, I mean Osama bin Laden, ISIS and others who were raided successfully by US and other countries’ forces.
The students did entertain a zoom presentation from a convicted terrorist and members of the domestic terrorist organization Weather Underground which was involved in riots, bombings and arsons related to the Vietnam War.
What happened Friday when students attempted to try to raise the US flag on the Quad flagpole was not peaceful. UCUP protestors went beyond passive standing in the way and the result was the calling of the UCPD and CPD.
And yes, the police sent out a false claim they would raid at 3 AM. That was brilliant. They knew from experience that UCUP would call for a surge to resist and obstruct and when nothing happened, they would all go home for the night and UCUPs would go to sleep it off without leaving a sentry.
You will never win this kind of argument with the police. If the students have learned nothing else, I hope they learned this.
Bob Michaelson / May 7, 2024 at 8:29 pm
Irgun terrorist Menachem Begin founded the Likud Party, now the chief part of Israel’s neo-fascist government. They are following the terrorist heritage of Begin – they are murdering tens of thousands of Palestinians, largely women and children. Bibi himself largely promoted the growth of Hamas, as a way of preventing a Palestinian state: at a meeting in early 2019 he was quoted as saying that those who oppose a Palestinian state should support the transfer of funds to Gaza, because maintaining the separation between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. He didn’t care if Hamas killed a few Israeli’s along the way. Now he is slaughtering Palestinians to try to stay in power; he even is ok with IDF killing Israelis (see “Hannibal Directive,” for example). Bibi is a terrorist on a scale that puts Osama bin Laden in the shade. Osama was a terrorist, but Junior Bush didn’t go after him or the Saudis who supported him, instead he invaded Iraq, stupidity that led directly to most of the current problems in the Middle East. Junior Bush is a war criminal and a terrorist.
And no, people don’t win arguments with cops because cops have violence on their side.
Interested Party / May 7, 2024 at 5:51 am
FINALLY!