Chicago college students set up encampments on campus to protest war in Gaza

CHICAGO - DePaul University students were the latest to take a stand against the war in Gaza, joining protesters at universities nationwide by building an encampment on their Lincoln Park campus.  

Despite tents being banned on campus and a warning from officials that disciplinary action is possible, students planned to spend the night in tents Tuesday – and said it could be the first of many.

"While it is our fervent desire to promote open dialogue in a spirit of peace, we also must protect the safety of our campus community. Violence, harassment, or intimidation as well as actions that interfere with university operations, damage property, or are disruptive to our neighbors — including but not limited to amplified sound — will lead to immediate disciplinary actions, such as suspension or expulsion, and criminal sanctions," DePaul University President Robert Manuel stated in a joint letter from administrators. "Please remember that any complaints made directly to the Chicago Police Department by the neighboring community will be followed up by them directly, and the university will not be able to intervene in those instances."

On Tuesday morning, pro-Palestinian demonstrators at DePaul took a page from protesters across the nation by pitching tents and pressuring university leaders to cut ties with Israel. An Instagram account run by DePaul University's Divestment Coalition Encampment called on students to "flood the quad."

 "For years we’ve asked DePaul to publicize their investment portfolio and they haven’t yet," said Nour Odeh, DePaul University graduate.  

"We want financial transparency. I'm a student, I want to know where my money is being invested, and divestment from war-mongering companies that support Palestinian suffering, the Israeli apartheid," said Henna Ayesh, student, DePaul University.

Organizers also called on DePaul to end research relationships with Israel and to eliminate study-abroad trips there.

"As a Palestinian student, I have family back home," said Ayesh. "Our university has released countless emails, and not one of them have addressed this for a genocide, which is what it really is."

The group is now referring to DePaul’s quad as a ‘liberated zone’ and released a program Tuesday which began at 10 a.m. and was scheduled to go until 10 p.m. 

DePaul University officials said in a statement that they are monitoring the situation.

"While tents and unpermitted structures on DePaul’s property violate a variety of university policies, we invite the members of our university community who are protesting to discuss with us how to peacefully express themselves. Our goal is to identify a path forward that allows our community to make their voices heard, while also respecting the rights of their fellow students to continue active engagement in their education and staying in compliance with the law and university policy," the statement read, in part.

DePaul administrators also stated that their "prayers are with the people of Israel and Palestine – and all the world’s population affected by war."

"One of the things we’re concerned about is the place for Jewish students on campus," said Sarah van Loon, regional director, American Jewish Committee (AJC) Chicago. "We’re seeing responses to protesters’ demands, and yet the continued silence to very real student concerns and reports of antisemitism. We need university administrators to act on behalf of all their students."   

The AJC reported that antisemitism is on the rise – especially now.

"I got accosted on the train today just for wearing my Star of David," said Andrey Pikovsky, who attends Loyola University but drove past DePaul’s encampment Tuesday to see it for himself.

During an otherwise peaceful protest, there were tense moments on DePaul’s quad Tuesday when demonstrators clashed with Jewish students and community members who were showing their support for Israel.

Demonstrators shouted for those Israeli supporters to ‘go home’ and attempted to shut them out of the quad.

"They’re not engaging in a way that is actually going to have a conversation or understand the other point of view," said Marisa Douenias, community member. "We don't all feel the same about the Israeli government, and we find a way to have that conversation without calling for the destruction of the only Jewish state in the world."

Students at the University of Chicago joined the movement on Monday by creating an encampment at their Hyde Park campus to stand in solidarity with Gaza. Protesting continued Tuesday. 

Pro-Palestinian students at Northwestern University led local efforts by setting up a similar encampment last Thursday. They continued to demonstrate over the weekend.

On Monday, Northwestern officials announced they had come to an agreement with those leading the encampment. The university has committed to re-establishing an ‘Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility’ this fall, which will include student representation, among other changes.

In exchange, Northwestern student protesters agreed to dismantle their tents. They will be permitted to demonstrate in Deering Meadow until June 1.

Now, Jewish advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Midwest, are calling for Northwestern President Michael Schill to resign. In a statement issued Tuesday, the groups wrote in part: "Jewish Northwestern students have been harassed and intimated by blatant antisemitism on campus, worsening since October 7.  Yesterday, President Schill signed an agreement with the perpetrators of that harassment and intimidation, rewarding them for their hate."

FOX 32 Chicago reached out to Northwestern officials for their response to those calls for Schill’s resignation but did not immediately hear back.