Encampments
set
up
at
pro-Palestinian
protests
were
taken
down
at
Yale
University
and
the
University
of
Connecticut
on
Tuesday
morning
and
police
made
some
arrests
at
UConn.
UConn
officials
said
police
removed
tents
and
tarps
on
the
campus
in
Storrs
and
arrested
protesters
who
refused
to
take
down
tents
and
disperse.
Officials
said
a
total
of
25
people
were
arrested
at
UConn,
including
two
dozen
students
and
one
former
student.
They
were
all
charged
with
criminal
trespass
and
disorderly
conduct,
a
spokesperson
said.
The
protests
have
been
going
on
for
a
couple
of
weeks
and
encampments
grew
on
the
campuses.
UConn
said
the
university
had
shared
guidelines
last
week
and
some
of
the
people
who
had
gathered
violated
the
guidelines
by
putting
up
tents.
By
Monday
afternoon,
there
were
around
20,
according
to
the
school.
The
group,
UConn
said,
was
warned
several
times
that
they
were
free
to
be
in
the
space
and
exercise
their
free
speech
rights,
but
the
tents
needed
to
be
taken
down
and
this
was
ignored.
On
Tuesday
morning,
police
directed
protesters
four
times
to
remove
the
tents
and
disperse,
but
those
orders
were
ignored,
according
to
UConn.
Then,
officers
entered
the
site
to
remove
the
tents
and
tarps
and
to
arrest
those
who
refused
compliance.
Protesters
said
they
noticed
an
increased
police
presence
around
their
tents
around
5
a.m.
and
they
officers
told
them
to
leave
or
they
would
be
arrested.
Two
hours
later,
police
cleared
the
encampment
and
loaded
belongings
into
the
back
of
a
pickup.
Muneeb
Syed,
president
of
UConn
Muslim
Student
Association
explained
what
the
protesters
are
asking
for.
“One
is
a
recognition
of
the
genocide
that’s
happening
in
Gaza
right
now.
The
other
aspect
is
to
also
think
about
what
is
this
university
doing
that
supports
that?
We
keep
saying
disclose
and
divest.
We
want
the
university
to
first
disclose
how
much
money
is
being
sent
overseas
and
to
what
companies.”
Syed
said.
“Beyond
that,
we
want
divestment.
We
want
the
university
to
start
cutting
ties.
Start
finding
alternatives
to
where
they
invest
that
money,”
Syed
added.
Graduation
is
approaching
for
UConn.
Students
are
taking
finals
this
week
and
commencement
is
happening
this
weekend.
So
far,
none
of
that
has
been
impacted.
Police
cleared
out
an
encampment
set
up
by
pro-Palestinian
protestors
on
Yale’s
campus
Tuesday
but
the
demonstrators
vowed
they
would
return.
The
camp
is
also
down
at
Yale
and
the
protesters
have
left.
Yale
university
officials
said
an
encampment
was
set
up
on
Yale’s
Cross
Campus
Sunday
afternoon
and
the
school
gave
protesters
final
warnings
on
Tuesday
that
the
camp
must
end
or
they
will
face
discipline,
which
could
include
suspension
for
violating
university
rules
and
arrest
for
trespassing.
New
Haven
police
said
Tuesday
morning
that
they
had
around
30
officers
on
the
Yale
campus
and
had
not
made
any
arrests.
Yale
student
Chisato
Kimura
said
the
group
at
Yale
includes
students
as
well
as
community
members.
She
said
protesters
were
awoken
at
6
a.m.
by
Yale
officers
and
police
gave
them
15
minutes
to
vacate
the
encampment
or
be
arrested,
so
everyone
did.
The
protesters
then
moved
to
the
sidewalk
along
College
Street
and
continued
the
protest
there.
Yale
staff
took
down
the
encampment
and
went
through
the
belongings.
Kimura
said
the
Dean
of
Yale
College
sent
a
letter
to
student
marshals
on
Sunday,
warning
that
they’re
in
violation
of
university
policy
and
that
disciplinary
action,
including
arrests,
could
be
taken
if
they
don’t
vacate
Cross
Campus
where
the
encampment
is
set
up.
“Yale
police
has
made
it
very
clear
that
it’s
all
in
the
hands
of
the
Yale
administration,
it’s
what
Yale
administration
wants
to
do,
if
they
want
to
come
to
the
table
in
good
faith
and
negotiate,”
Kimura
said.
Last
Monday,
police
arrested
around
60
people
who
were
protesting
in
a
nearby
square
in
New
Haven.
Protesters
at
Yale
did
not
have
a
specific
plan,
but
said
they
are
not
giving
up.
“These
are
anti-war
protests,
and
the
administration
should
understand
that
anti-war
protests
are
things
that
students
do,”
Yale
Professor
of
Philosophy
Jason
Stanley
said.
In
a
statement,
the
Slifka
Center
for
Jewish
Life
at
Yale
said
in
part
that
the
campus
environment
over
the
last
week
has
crossed
the
line
into
open
antisemitism.