Marking the one-year anniversary of the 2024 pro-Palestine encampment, UChicago students and community members launched a week-long protest and installation outside Swift Hall. The students, organized as the “Popular University for Gaza,” called for solidarity with Palestine and the divestment of University funds from institutions tied to Israel.
Between Monday, April 28, and Friday, May 2, the group held teach-ins, workshops, and demonstrations—some resulting in confrontations with the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) and deans-on-call—as they sought to maintain public pressure on University leadership.
Shortly after 1 p.m. on April 28, protesters gathered on the quad outside of Swift Hall, raising a banner reading “Free Palestine, Bring the Intifada Home.” UCPD officers and deans-on-call observed from a distance as the group began a series of chants over a megaphone. Deans repeatedly informed the protesters that they were in violation of University policies regulating the use of amplified sound on campus.
Around an hour and a half into the demonstration, the UCPD officers and deans-on-call requested identification from those who had been using megaphones. The protesters initially locked arms to prevent possible arrests, with the crowd gradually dispersing as officers continued to ask for identifying information.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the demonstrators returned to the quad to attend teach-ins with community organizations GoodKidsMadCity and Real Youth Initiative, which ended by 6:50 p.m.
Demonstrators returned to the quad on Tuesday and Wednesday, hosting teach-ins and workshops with a variety of campus and community organizations. On Wednesday, programming included lessons on security culture, resisting gentrification in Woodlawn, and “Luigi Mangione and You,” according to agendas posted on Instagram by UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP).
Members of campus labor unions—including Graduate Students United–United Electrical and Faculty Forward—gathered in front of Levi Hall on Thursday to commemorate May Day, which has historically represented the international labor movement. Later, about 20 people gathered in front of Harper Memorial Library for a “Fightback Rally,” calling on the University to reverse the involuntary suspensions of two undergraduate students arrested in connection with the October 11 pro-Palestine protest.
Two UCPD officers, along with several deans-on-call, gathered to observe the protest.
As protesters continued to chant, UCPD officers chased after demonstrators and confiscated at least one megaphone. The demonstration, which took place after 1 p.m., was again in violation of University policy regarding amplified sound. An unidentified protester flew a flag identifying with the Houthi movement in Yemen; one UCPD officer was overheard saying “As long as they’re holding [the flag], it’s free speech.”
By 1:30 p.m., the protesters had dispersed, returning to the Swift Hall quad for Dhuhr prayer. This was followed by a workshop on mapping campus surveillance and conversations calling for the end of “Cop City Tactics” and “Killer Quantum.”
At 5:30 p.m., University President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Katherine Baicker walked past the protesters to attend an Alumni Weekend event on the western end of the quad. As Alivisatos crossed the quad, protesters chanted, “Paul, Paul, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” Another protester followed Alivisatos and attempted to engage him in conversation but was unsuccessful.
“I’ve read your three emails that you’ve sent this year. Seven students had their visas revoked and the best you can give is empty platitudes,” the protester said. “It just doesn’t feel like you truly care about the lives of students beyond these simple messages.”
Protesters continued to heckle Alivisatos outside of the Alumni Weekend tent until 5:45 p.m., when he was escorted into a UCPD car and driven away. The protesters dispersed around half an hour later.
The protesters arrived on the quad around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, handing out informational flyers instructing students how to act during and after a protest, especially if police are involved.
“Don’t de-escalate. Don’t try to stop people taking action to oppose the genocide. Don’t talk to cops or administration,” one line read.
Friday’s daytime programming included a discussion on lessons from the 2024 encampment, a workshop on past student movements, and singing. At 8:30 p.m., following a Shabbat service, protesters invited members of the community to the quad for pizza and projected the words “Free Palestine” onto the front of Levi Hall, echoing a similar projection during the 2024 encampment. Soon afterwards, the protesters dispersed for the night, officially concluding the week of demonstrations.
Aaryan Kumar, Kalyna Vickers, and Julian Moreno contributed reporting.
Ira Stoll / May 14, 2025 at 7:35 am
The idea of a union, or community members at the University of Chicago, participating in a protest that involves waving a Houthi flag is really something that deserves some reflection.
Per the State Department human rights report from 2023: [hyperlink was here but has been deleted per comment approval policy] “Houthi militia members kidnapped Abu Zaid al-Kumaim, a leader of the Yemeni Teachers Club union, from his home in Sana’a on October 9 after he called for payment of public employee salaries. The union issued a statement expressing disappointment that he was “arrested” for asking the Houthis to pay educators who had gone without salaries for the last eight years. In November, SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties reported al-Kumaim’s condition significantly deteriorated and that Houthi authorities transferred him temporarily to al-Kuwait hospital after he fell into a coma. According to NGO reports, at year’s end he was still detained despite Houthi promises to release him.”
The Houthis also punish gays with stoning, flogging, and death by crucifixion. [hyperlink to Human Rights Watch press release from 2024 was here but has been deleted per comment approval policy]
The U.S. State department has designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, noting, “Since 2023, the Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as U.S. service members defending freedom of navigation and our regional partners. Most recently, the Houthis spared Chinese-flagged ships while targeting American and allied vessels.” [hyperlink to State Department announcement was here but is now deleted per comments policy]