May 5th 2024.
On Saturday afternoon, a group of around 50 pro-Palestinian protestors were arrested by Chicago police in North Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago in the Loop. This follows a wave of unrest on college campuses across the country, which continued into the weekend. The protestors, who were mostly students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, had set up an encampment in the garden around 11 a.m., with about a dozen tents. They named the encampment "Hind's Garden" in honor of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed earlier this year by the Israeli military.
Their goal was to urge the school to reveal its investments and divest from companies and weapons manufacturers that have ties to Israel. By 4:30 p.m., there were about 50 people inside the garden, distributing food and setting up tents. Outside the gate on the sidewalk by North Michigan Avenue, dozens of people were waving Palestine flags. Some of those outside the gate even linked arms in an attempt to prevent police from entering the garden, but they were ultimately pushed back by the officers.
Shortly after, the police entered the garden and began breaking up the encampment by arresting protestors who were locked together. Some of the protestors walked out of the garden with their hands up, while others were forcefully thrown to the ground. Onlookers on the sidewalk chanted "Hands off our students" in response to the police's actions.
According to a statement from the police, they responded to the encampment in order to maintain the safety of both the participants and those in the surrounding area. They also stated that they had negotiated with the demonstrators for two hours, even offering them an alternative site for their protest. However, at 3:30 p.m., the Art Institute instructed the police to take "enforcement action" to remove the protestors from the garden.
About an hour later, the police arrested dozens of demonstrators for criminal trespass to property and cleared the area. The exact number of arrests was not immediately available, according to a police spokesperson. A representative for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago estimated that around 50 people were arrested. They also stated that while the school respects the right to peacefully protest, the group became disruptive and even shoved a security officer and stole their keys. The spokesperson also claimed that the protestors blocked emergency exits and barricaded gates, which jeopardized the safety of the school's employees, visitors, and collection.
The spokesperson continued by saying that the protestors were offered an alternative location on campus to continue their protest, which would have been safer for everyone involved. However, they did not accept this offer. The statement also mentioned that during multiple rounds of negotiations, the school promised the protestors amnesty from academic sanctions and trespassing charges if they agreed to relocate. The school also agreed to meet with a student group to discuss their demands. Unfortunately, after five hours, an agreement could not be reached.
One of the protestors, who asked to be identified only by their first initial J., expressed their disappointment and rage at the police's unnecessary response. This was especially upsetting after the Chicago police Superintendent, Larry Snelling, had reiterated his support for free speech just the day before. J. hopes that there will be accountability for this disconnect between what the city's officials say and what the constituents are experiencing.
Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Johnson stated that protecting First Amendment rights is a top priority, but they will assess all of these demonstrations. Superintendent Snelling also mentioned that the police would only intervene in encampments and remove people when it is deemed necessary. This stance was in response to the growing number of tent encampments at universities across the country. Some schools, like Columbia University, have called in law enforcement to disband the demonstrations, resulting in over 2,400 arrests at 47 campuses nationwide and, at times, violent confrontations with the police. Other schools, such as Northwestern University, have reached agreements with the protest leaders to minimize the disruption to campus life and upcoming commencement ceremonies.
At the University of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson and his father, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., joined the protestors at the encampment on Saturday. They urged the school to peacefully resolve the demonstration, according to the university's student newspaper. On Friday, the university's president, Paul Alivisatos, stated that the school was preparing to "intervene" and remove the pro-Palestine encampment from the Main Quadrangle. However, as of Saturday evening, the encampment remained intact.
This student movement, which is unlike any other seen this century, began in recent weeks amidst the escalating death toll in Gaza. According to the Health Ministry, over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas' attack on southern Israel in October, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and 250 hostages. On Thursday, President Joe Biden defended the right to protest but also emphasized the importance of maintaining order on college campuses. This comes at a time when some members of Chicago's Jewish community are calling for action at local universities to prevent hate speech.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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