U of M Palestine protest resolution vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Frey

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A resolution for support that also called for dropping charges against protesters of Palestinian rights who vandalized Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota in October has been vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

What happened

11 protesters were arrested on Oct. 21, 2024, after occupying Morrill Hall on the University of Minnesota campus as part of a rally for Palestine.

The protesters were part of a group that assembled in the plaza above the Coffman Memorial Union before pushing into Morrill Hall.

Inside, police said the group spray-painted security cameras, broke interior windows, and barricaded the entrances.

Isabella Harbison, 23, was charged with fourth-degree assault by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office in connection to the event.

Call of support

At its Dec. 5 meeting, the Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution, "expressing solidarity with nonviolent campus activism opposing war and supporting Palestinian human rights" by a vote of 7-6.

The resolution also urged the university and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to drop charges against the protestors arrested, and charged, during the Oct. 21

"The stated goal of urging the University of Minnesota to divest from the State of Israel and Israeli academic institutions as part of a global movement of nonviolent economic strategies to protect Palestinian human rights," the resolution reads.

Frey veto

In a letter explaining his action to veto Resolution 2024R-430, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that non-violent protest was a fundamental right as a form of free speech, "what occurred on Oct. 21, at Morrill Hall… was neither peaceful nor protected speech."

The letter went on to claim that protesters caused property damage that exceeded $67,000, and that there was, "no First Amendment right to  damage property, break windows, barricade doors, and endanger people’s safety… Simply put, when people engage in these actions, no matter what they are protesting, they break the law and there are consequences."

The letter went on to claim that "the Council has taken a position simply because it aligns with a cause they support, rather than the basic principles of law."

"If individuals opposed to abortion had engaged in the same disruptive, unlawful actions,  or if members of the National Rifle Association had taken over a building, would the Council stand behind  them with the same resolution? We all know the answer," the letter says.

Frey notes that the "lack of consistency sets a dangerous precedent and sends a message that illegal and violent conduct is not only tolerated, but praised – as long as it conforms to the Council’s preferences."

The city council can now attempt to override Frey’s veto, which would require a supermajority vote of 9-3 among its members.