U of M says agreement with protesters reached to clear encampment
U of M protest encampment clear, continue nationally
Pro-Palestine protests have been ongoing at college campuses across the country. At the University of Minnesota, the protest encampment has cleared after a compromise was struck. At UCLA, riot police clear the protest encampment, and arrest over 100 people. At Columbia University in New York City, police stormed into an administration building after protesters had taken over the building.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - University of Minnesota (U of M) Interim President Jeff Ettinger announced an agreement with student protesters has been reached he says will allow campus buildings to reopen and clear the encampment.
The agreement also states the student coalition will not organize any disruptions to the upcoming exams or commencement ceremony, Ettinger said in a letter to students, faculty and staff.
Closed buildings on the Northrop Mall are expected to reopen at noon on Thursday, the letter says.
"While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress. Interim President Ettinger said the letter released Thursday morning. "It grew out of a desire among those involved to reach shared understanding. While we do not condone tactics that are outside of our policies, we appreciate student leaders' willingness to engage in dialogue. I value the challenging and healthy conversations we've had."
RELATED: UMN union criticizes university's response to pro-Palestine encampment
Interim President Ettinger adds that representatives of the coalition will be provided an opportunity to address the Board of Regents at its May 10 meeting.
The full agreement, which was reportedly sent to encampment organizers around 10 p.m. Wednesday, can be viewed here.
U of M students set up the encampment to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas War that began after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
President Biden speaks on nationwide protests
President Joe Biden spoke on Thursday about the protests sweeping across the nation.
"Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish their semester and college education," President Bident said. "Look, it's basically a matter of fairness. It's a matter of what's right. There's the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos."
President Biden made these statements after police in Los Angeles cleared out an encampment at UCLA and detained 132 demonstrators.
Some protests became violent when counter-protesters supporting Israel clashed with those supporting Palestine.
The president added that he does not think the National Guard needs to deploy in response to the violence.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.