A Pro-Palestinian encampment at DePaul University in Chicago's' Lincoln Park neighborhood was dismantled by Chicago Police early Thursday morning as school officials released a statement saying the nearly 20-day encampment had led to "the disruption of university operations, interference with student learning, and safety threats to individuals and the public."
"Since the encampment began on April 30, the situation has steadily escalated with physical altercations, credible threats of violence from people not associated with our community, an inability for the other members of our community to take part in the core academic experiences on our campus, and an ever-growing series of threats to the people involved in the encampment and our community members," a statement from DePaul President Rob Manual said in part. "From the beginning of the encampment, I have said that we would protect free speech and the ability to dissent until it either prevented us from carrying out the operations of our university or threatened the safety of the members of our community. I am deeply saddened to say the encampment has crossed that line."
Manuel's statement also linked to a page that contains examples of "numerous examples of complaints of discrimination, harassment, and violence" the university received since the encampment was erected in April.
"These examples are representative of the more than 1,000 registered complaints the university received since the encampment began," the statement continued, adding that some of the examples contained material that "may be explicit or violent material that may be harmful or traumatizing."
Photos and video from the scene early Thursday showed dozens of Chicago Police on bikes in front of the DePaul quad. Inside the quad, tents had been dismantled.
NBC 5 reporter Sandra Torres noted the protesters relocated without incident. They could be seen and heard chanting on the other side of the block.
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"Our Office of Public Safety and Chicago Police are now disassembling the encampment," Manual's statement read. "Every person currently in the encampment will be given the opportunity to leave peacefully and without being arrested. I urge all there to leave peacefully and return home."
The statement went on to say that the quad and all other green spaces on the Lincoln Park campus would be "closed to everyone, effective immediately."
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"These spaces will remain closed until further notice so that we can begin property repairs and return to normal operations," the statement read. "Anyone who tries to breach the fence around the quad or any of the green spaces on the Lincoln Park Campus will be trespassed, arrested, and suspended. DePaul will continue to investigate every reported complaint of harassment or discrimination that we receive resulting from the encampment or subsequent events."
According to the school, the cost to repair physical damage to the quad is nearly $180,000.
Over the weekend, DePaul officials said negotiations between school officials and protesters had reached an impasse.
"As stated in previous messages, I do believe students with the Divestment Coalition initiated the encampment with sincere intentions to peacefully protest," Manual's Thursday message said. "While their teach-ins, library, and prayer services on the quad have in themselves been peaceful, these good intentions have been unable to outweigh the draw that the encampment has to others with nefarious and harmful intent."
Photos by NBC 5's George Mycyk.
