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Campus Police Begin Clearing Encampment – ​​NBC Chicago

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University of Chicago campus police began asking students early Tuesday to leave a camp where pro-Palestinian protests had been taking place since last week.

NBC 5’s Patrick Fazio reported that bulldozers and trucks arrived on campus around 4:45 a.m. By 5 a.m., campus police, some in riot gear, had begun breaking up the camp, removing tents, barriers, equipment and more.

“Police have ordered all student protesters to vacate the site or face criminal charges and suspension from the university if they do not comply,” Fazio reported from the Hyde Park campus early Tuesday morning.

NBC 5 did not observe any arrests.

Protesters mobilized overnight, many holding a rally around 3 a.m., Fazio said, after receiving a tip that both Chicago police and campus police were ready to clear the encampment.

As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, there were no Chicago police officers present.

The university police response comes a day after University of Chicago officials said talks between protesters and the school had been “disrupted.” In a statement, the university called the protesters’ demands “contrary to the university’s principles.”

“University leadership, including academic deans, worked with protestor student representatives and faculty to explore possible paths to agreement within the university’s principles,” the statement released Sunday read in part. “Everyone agreed to respect the confidentiality of these discussions.”

The university also said there were “inaccuracies and misrepresentations” on social media regarding the school’s current policies.

“In particular, the Scholars at Risk program is an existing initiative at the University of Chicago and other leading universities and colleges. The program is open to scientists around the world,” the statement continued. “All scientists affected by this conflict are encouraged to participate.”

The statement continued that based on negotiations, the school did not agree to “reduce” campus security or police presence.

Similar protests have occurred at other college campuses in Chicago, including at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where dozens of demonstrators were arrested over the weekend for trespassing after failing to disperse from the downtown campus despite multiple verbal warnings.

On Friday, Chicago police were called to encampments at DePaul University, where they stood for hours between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups. Signs and chants containing anti-Semitic rhetoric were reported in this camp.

“We are here to support Jewish students, we are here to make sure they are safe and cared for,” a speaker said during the dueling protest.

Speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day event over the weekend, Yinam Cohen, Israel’s consul general in the Midwest, called on local leaders to address reports of rising anti-Semitism as protests continue.

“Chicago, we have a problem,” Cohen said. “And we can’t close our eyes to it. Combating anti-Semitism is not the responsibility of Israel or the local Jewish community. It is the responsibility of local leadership. We have the legal, educational and political tools to combat this hatred.”

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