This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
At approximately 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, law enforcement officers entered the Gaza solidarity encampment on the Diag and removed University of Michigan students and community members from the area. Officers gave protesters a verbal warning to clear the area about 5 minutes before officers began to forcibly remove people and equipment.
According to a post on Instagram, U-M student organization Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, an organizer of the encampment, said officers used pepper spray and tear gas against protesters inside the encampment as well as made several arrests at the scene.
In a message to the U-M community, University President Santa Ono said the University decided to clear the area out of concern for campus safety following protesters’ refusal to leave the encampment after a fire safety inspection.
“Following a May 17 inspection by the university fire marshal, who determined that were a fire to occur, a catastrophic loss of life was likely, the fire marshal and Student Life leaders asked camp occupants to remove external camp barriers, refrain from overloading power sources, and stop using open flames,” Ono wrote. “The protesters refused to comply with these requests. That forced the university to take action and this morning, we removed the encampment.”
Ono also cited incidents of protesters going beyond the lawful expressions of free speech welcomed at the University, including a protest outside of the UMMA earlier this month that was met with police force and demonstrations outside of the private residences of several members of the Board of Regents. Ono said the University will remain dedicated to free speech on campus, but emphasized the importance of protests following the law and adhering to University policies.
“Moving forward, individuals will be welcome to protest as they always have at the University of Michigan, so long as those protests don’t violate the rights of others and are consistent with university policies meant to ensure the safety of our community,” Ono wrote. “To be clear, there is no place for violence or intimidation at the University of Michigan. Such behavior will not be tolerated, and individuals will be held accountable.”
The Michigan Daily News Staff can be reached at news@michigandaily.com.
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