Police break up pro-Palestinian camps at University of Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) — Police in riot gear break up pro-Palestinian camps at the University of Chicago early Tuesday morning.

There was a large University of Chicago police presence in the square, and protesters were escorted from the protest site. The remaining protesters were ordered to “immediately disperse” or face criminal prosecution.

Crowds of protesters chanting and crossing arms faced officers carrying shields and heavy protective gear. A yellow fence was erected between police and demonstrators.

Shortly before 6:45 a.m., police began breaking through the barricades to forcibly disperse the demonstrators.

“Final Notice to Students” was distributed to the demonstrators

The protesters were handed papers titled “Final Notice to Students Participating in the Camp in the Main Square.” The notices contained the threat of arrest.

The university stated: “This is your final warning to leave the camp.” The warning said that leaving the camp would result in “disciplinary action,” including “immediate temporary leave of absence from the university.”

Tents were observed being dismantled and construction equipment brought into the area.

Eman Abdelhadi, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, who joined protesters Tuesday morning and said she “feared” that police would take this action.

“It’s really devastating and I think the viciousness of this attack is that a lot of us were here at 3 a.m. because we wanted to be nearby in case there was another attack,” she said .

Talks between pro-Palestinian protesters and universities were “suspended” on Monday.

This came after talks took place between the pro-Palestinian protesters and the University of Chicago “suspended” on Monday.

The camp has been in place at the U of C since Monday last week. It was first constructed on the Main Quad north of Swift Hall and has grown since then. The students are part of a nationwide movement calling for immediate divestment from companies profiting from Israeli business during the Gaza war.

The protesters want the university to give all funding to companies that profit from the war between Israel and Hamas – such as Boeing and other manufacturers that supply weapons used in Israel.

The school’s Faculty of Justice in Palestine – a group of more than 120 faculty and staff involved in the protest against the camp – claimed the university had set a deadline of midnight Sunday night for the camp to be dismantled. The group gathered Monday morning on the steps of Edward H. Levi Hall, the U of C administration building at 5801 S. Ellis Ave., in anticipation of the camp’s dismantling.

However, a university spokesman said that while talks with protesters were suspended, claims of a midnight deadline to disperse the protests were not true.

On Friday, Campus police in riot gear separated protesters who are part of the UChicago United for Palestine encampment and a group of counter-protesters carrying American and Israeli flagsafter a clash between the two groups.