University of Chicago removes pro-Palestinian encampments without arrests

Turmoil on campuses began after the Oct 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, and the Jewish state's retaliatory response in Gaza

By Janet Lorin
 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said suspensions are in process for dozens of student protesters while the University of Chicago shut down a pro-Palestinian encampment amid persistent tensions on US campuses.
 

“As we said previously, these actions are necessary to ensure the safety of our community,” MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles said in a statement Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, University of Chicago police cleared out tents as President Paul Alivisatos said security risks were “increasing too rapidly for the status quo to hold.” Police made no arrests, but the university will proceed with disciplinary action. 

With many college commencements scheduled for this month, schools around the US are confronting encampments set up to protest Israel’s retaliatory attack on Gaza. The highly visible demonstrations have added to campus turmoil, partly due to accusations of antisemitism and concerns about free speech. Harvard University threatened protesters with suspension earlier this week.  

The University of Chicago, which is known for its commitment to free expression, said “intractable and inflexible” aspects of the demands made by protesters were incompatible with the school’s principle of institutional neutrality. 

“Safety concerns have mounted over the last few days,” Alivisatos said. “The university remains a place where dissenting voices have many avenues to express themselves, but we cannot enable an environment where the expression of some dominates and disrupts the healthy functioning of the community for the rest.”

Turmoil on campuses began after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, and the Jewish state’s retaliatory response in Gaza. 

In recent weeks, several universities have asked local police to help clear encampments, including at Columbia University in New York, the University of Virginia and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. 

The University of Chicago initially sought help from city police, according to the mayor’s office. The Chicago police “raised operational concerns and expressed an unwillingness to participate” in a pre-dawn clearing of the encampment, Ronnie Reese, a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson, said in an emailed statement. 

The university police ultimately decided to move forward independently with the removal, Reese said. The University of Chicago didn’t immediately comment about the police request.