Police have taken down a pro-Palestinian encampment at DePaul University on Thursday morning. However, demonstrations are still ongoing outside the quad where the encampment used to be situated on the Lincoln Park campus.
Chaos and confusion erupted in the encampment shortly after 5:30 a.m. The entire incident was captured on film by a student, who later shared the footage with CBS 2. Desperate to prevent the officers from entering, the students attempted to block their way, but the officers forcefully pushed through.
As the student’s video captures the scene, the sound of footsteps can be heard echoing through the campground, rousing the sleeping campers and alerting them to the unfolding situation. Swiftly and decisively, police officers sprang into action, swiftly disassembling tents, tearing down signs, and clearing the area.
DePaul University President Robert Manuel declared the situation on campus as “unsafe” and granted law enforcement the authority to take action on Wednesday night. Several students expressed that they were deeply affected by the incident, experiencing significant distress.
Following the raid, the students swiftly regrouped and relocated their movement to a nearby gas station.
According to the Chicago Police, they arrested a man and a woman outside the encampment for obstructing traffic. However, no arrests were made at the encampment itself during the raid.
President Manuel informed the university students and staff that the University Public Safety and Chicago Police have started dismantling the encampment. Despite attempts to find a mutually agreeable solution with the DePaul Divestment Coalition, no resolution could be reached.
Manuel urged everyone currently in the encampment to leave peacefully and return home, assuring them that they would not be arrested if they chose to do so. “I urge all there to leave peacefully and return home,” Manuel said.
In addition to the statement, there was also a warning about the imminent closure of the quad.
In a written statement, Manuel firmly stated that anyone attempting to breach the fence surrounding the quad or any of the green spaces on the Lincoln Park Campus will face serious consequences. Trespassers will not only be arrested, but also suspended from the university. Furthermore, DePaul University is committed to thoroughly investigating every reported complaint of harassment or discrimination that arises as a result of the encampment or any related incidents.
DePaul reports weapons found at encampment site, threats and hate speech
The university website detailed the various incidents that were deemed as “threats to safety and disruption of campus operations.” These included altercations and criminal activity that occurred on campus.
During the removal of the tents, Manuel mentioned that they discovered weapons at the encampment site. The weapons recovered consisted of knives, a pellet gun, and various improvised weapons. The university also shared photos of the knives and pellet gun that were found.
The university reported instances of boards with long nails or screws sticking out, which were deliberately placed as traps along the fence separating the quad from Fullerton Avenue.
DePaul received over 1,000 complaints in total. Among them were over 625 complaints from neighbors and community members, and more than 425 from students, faculty, staff, and parents.
The list of complaints encompassed various concerning incidents. These included a death threat, four credible threats of violence, 12 instances of criminal property damage, and 34 reports of antisemitism, among other issues raised.
According to DePaul, the encampment caused various safety violations and instances of property damage at the university. These included spray paint on buildings and doors, etching on glass and windows, dumpsters blocking entrances and exits, the John T. Richardson Library being chained shut and locked, and removal of safety grates.
According to DePaul’s report, the protest resulted in a total of $180,000 worth of damage to university property. Additionally, the university had to cancel 45 events due to the protest, while Oscar Mayer Elementary School, located nearby, had to cancel recess and other outdoor activities.
The noise coming from the campsite was a significant issue for the people in the community.
The removal of the encampment brought a sense of relief to neighbors like Arden Joy. Arden, who is Jewish, expressed how the past few weeks had been traumatizing for her and her family.
Joy expressed her concern about their safety when she noticed a sign at the encampment that read, “Jewish safety cannot be guaranteed until Palestine is free.” This made her realize that they were not in a secure environment.
According to residents in the area, the encampment was seen as intimidating by many.
“We, as a Jewish community, strongly support Israel, but we also deeply empathize with the tragic loss of life in Gaza,” expressed Becca Lustig.
According to Sam Bakal, who resides just a few blocks away, he does not feel safe when he is in the presence of people who are protesting against him.
According to Brian Comer, the President of the Sheffield Neighbors Association, the protest encampment was becoming increasingly perilous.
Comer expressed concern that the longer the situation persisted, the more likely it was to attract negative outcomes. He emphasized their strong desire to prevent any such occurrences from taking place.
Student activists argue that they were specifically targeted for exercising their right to protest.
Lead protest marshal Simran Bains expressed her dismay at the lack of intervention by CPD, DePaul administration, and DePaul Public Safety while recounting instances of counterprotesters physically pushing people. Bains believes that blame is being unjustly placed on the protesters for the actions committed against them throughout the duration of the encampment.
The DePaul chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine has accused the administration at DePaul of “maligning” student protesters. They argue that the reports of improvised devices intended to cause harm were “false,” and that the knives found at the site were actually for food preparation in a kitchen tent.
Chicago police response
During a press conference on Thursday morning, the Chicago police reassured the public that there had been no confrontations or resistance from the protesters towards the officers.
According to Chicago Police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein, all individuals who were inside the encampment chose to leave voluntarily as the approach took place.
Videographers from the Chicago Department of Law accompanied the police during the intervention, Hein mentioned.
Hein chose not to provide any comment regarding the existence of a specific threat prior to the raid.
Hein defended the university’s decision to seal off the quad, stating, “DePaul University is private property, and as such, we have the right to take control of our own property.”
Protesters vow to regroup and press on
Organizers are currently working on regrouping after the encampment was removed, according to a student.
“We need to locate all of our team members because the manner in which they scattered us resulted in people leaving through various exits,” Bains explained. “Everyone was simply trying to ensure that they didn’t unintentionally obstruct anyone and cause physical harm.”
Protesters targeted the student center on campus at one point on Thursday, but the building was swiftly locked down by public safety officers. Even after the early-morning raid, tensions remained high on campus late Thursday.
On Thursday evening, a significant number of students and other pro-Palestinian supporters took to the streets of Lincoln Park, expressing their dissatisfaction with the university and Chicago Police for dismantling the encampment.
“The administration had a chance today to approach business in a new way – but instead, they opted for something less than remarkable,” expressed Parveen Mundi, the student body president of DePaul, during a rally on Thursday evening.
Ethan Schatz from the organization Jews 4 Justice strongly condemns DePaul University’s aggressive action of raiding the DePaul liberation zone.
The protesters had set up the encampment on April 30, demanding that the school sever its ties with Israel. They joined the nationwide college protests in solidarity with the Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
Protesters claimed that they had reached a stalemate with university leaders on May 12.
Other campus protests
An encampment on the Evanston campus at Northwestern University was voluntarily dismantled following an agreement with the university. Similarly, on May 7, University of Chicago Police stepped in to remove an encampment on the Main Quad at the university’s Hyde Park campus after an impasse was reached between the university and protesters.
DePaul University has set the dates for its upcoming graduation ceremonies. The College of Law ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, while the rest of the graduation ceremonies will take place on Sunday, June 16.
