Eleven people were arrested Monday evening at the University of Minnesota after members of the pro-Palestinian group Students for a Democratic Society barricaded themselves into Morrill Hall, the building where the leadership of the school has its offices.
According to a statement from the University of Minnesota: “Once inside the building, protesters began spray painting, including covering lenses of all internal security cameras, breaking interior windows, and barricading the building’s entrance and exit points. The full extent of the damage is unknown. A number of staff were working in the building at the time, and several people were not able to exit, with some being unable to exit the building for an extended period of time.
“To ensure the safety of U of M employees in the building who were unable to exit, and in light of property damage sustained to the building, the University of Minnesota Police Department was called to the scene to address the situation. With necessary support from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, UMPD entered the building at approximately 5:40 p.m. and arrested 11 people. No additional information is available at this time about the individuals arrested or the extent of damage to property.”
The statement said the investigation was ongoing.
According to the school, protesters assembled on the lawn in front of Coffman Memorial Union starting around 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Shortly before 4 p.m., a group of these individuals quickly moved north, up the Northrop Mall, and entered Morrill Hall.
The U’s SDS chapter posted about the takeover of the building on Instagram Monday afternoon. “While Northern Gaza burns, administration is worried about chalk and megaphones. No homecoming as usual! Divest UMN from Israel! No neutrality in genocide! Defend academic freedom!” the post gave the address for Morrill Hall, as well #divest #palestine #intifada.
The protest group said they were renaming the building “Halimy Hall,” reportedly after 19-year-old Palestinian TikTok creator Medo Halimy who died in August in an apparent Israeli airstrike.
University President Rebecca Cunningham, who took over her role on July 1, had previously said that the school was going to handle potential disruptions differently than the previous interim president had during the pro-Palestinian encampment on Northrop Mall in the spring.
As part of the report she gave at the Aug. 27 Board of Regents meeting, Cunningham wrote that using tents, damaging University property or grounds – including graffiti and stickers – and interfering with classes, research, work, or other University operations, were not permitted.
“These policies are not new, and they were not altered at all in response to the events of last spring or last year,” she said. “These are existing university policies.
“We must be transparent so that our policies and the consequences for violating those policies are very clear. Given our timeline, I’ve been working intensely with members of my leadership team this summer to solidify our procedures in alignment with existing policies as it pertains, specifically to spontaneous civic engagement at the University of Minnesota.”
Steve Hunegs, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, commended Cunningham and the university for enforcing the rules and the law.
“This isn’t about free speech. It’s about a takeover, intimidation, and hatred,” Hunegs said. “There are plenty of opportunities for free expression. This isn’t the case when there’s a takeover of a building and vandalism. The U has responded appropriately and expeditiously.”
Hunegs said that from his perspective, most students aren’t paying attention to the protesters.
“It doesn’t mean that it isn’t serious, but students want to move on with their studies and careers,” he said. He was concerned about the level of antagonism groups like SDS are generating, including some showing up outside of Minnesota Hillel to protest during the organization’s Oct. 7 commemoration.
“There’s a grotesque level to [which] pro-Hamas protesters will sink,” he said.
Cunningham, at the August meeting, said: “The University is firmly committed to academic freedom, freedom of expression, and the rights of students, faculty, and staff to express their views in the community. Core to this commitment is free, open, and respectful dialogue, regardless of viewpoint.
“Every member of the University community has this right and the accompanying responsibility not to interfere with or impede upon the rights of others to speak, study, teach, work and learn,” she said.
It’s not known how many of those arrested were students. The SDS Instagram account has posted about raising money for bail and was protesting in front of the Hennepin County Jail.
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