Pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrate on UMN campus for 2nd day

Brittney Ermon KSTP

Pro-Palestine protestors return to U of M

Pro-Palestinian protestors are back on campus at the University of Minnesota for another day of demonstrations.

It follows 11 people being arrested in Morrill Hall on Monday when protestors broke windows and caused other damage.

“The university has been reminded yet again that we are willing to risk nights in jail to get them to honor their commitment to students and divest from Israel,” a University of Minnesota student told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. “Anything that was done, it wasn’t done just to destroy things. It was done to protect students.”

On Monday afternoon, protesters took over the steps of Morrill Hall, using chairs, tables, and bike locks to block access from the doors.

Organizers say they’re calling on the university to divest from companies that support Israel.

University of Minnesota President Dr. Rebecca Cunningham sent a letter to students and staff calling yesterday’s protests “not a form of legitimate protest.”

She went on to say that “threatening behavior and destruction of property have absolutely no place within our community.”

The letter states that protesters went inside Morrill Hall, which had employees in the building and began spray painting over internal security cameras.

Adding protestors broke windows inside the building and barricaded the building’s entrance and exit points — creating significant damage.

Officials say some employees were unable to exit the building because bicycle U-locks were placed on door handles. The president called this a “terrifying experience.”