DENVER — Officials at Denver’s Auraria Campus estimate the pro-Palestinian demonstration that began three weeks ago has cost the campus as much as $290,000 and led to 80 arrests.
Devra Ashby, communications director for the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), discussed the numbers in a virtual media briefing and email bulletin Thursday.
Of the 80 people arrested, officials said only 16 are enrolled students at the campus. Three more are faculty or staff members. The Auraria Campus is home to the University of Colorado Denver, Community College of Denver, and Metropolitan State University of Denver facilities.
Contributing to the $290,000 estimate are expenses like replacing grass on the quad, safety and officer support, state emergency resources, and canceled events, Ashby said in an email to Denver7.
A middle school girls’ STEM event scheduled for Thursday that would have brought thousands to campus was canceled over safety concerns.
Protests at the campus began as an encampment on Tivoli Quad on April 25. Demonstrators with the group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered to demand that CU cut ties with Israel and fully disclose its financial investments amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Since then, SDS has included MSU Denver in its demands.
Similar protests unfolded at campuses nationwide in the same time frame.
The Auraria encampment has grown to more than 100 tents and has spilled from the quad to surrounding areas, Ashley said in the Thursday briefing
The protests escalated this week, with the campus being put on lockdown twice as protesters entered campus buildings. On Monday, 10 protesters were cited for trespassing as a group entered the student commons building and trashed the CU Denver Bursar’s Office. On Tuesday, 12 more were cited as demonstrators set up tents inside the Tivoli Student Union.
“Several acts of trespassing and interference are not examples of peaceful protests,” Ashby said. “We will not tolerate chronic intimidation, campus chaos and business disruptions.”
Concern over “sanitary and hygiene issues” has grown among Auraria officials as the encampment has grown, Ashley added. She said the campus is in contact with law enforcement as well as city and state officials about its response.
Representatives of SDS have said they would end the Auraria protest if their demands were met.
The CU Board of Regents released a statement Thursday offering its support of peaceful protest but saying it would not be making any policy changes:
“The University of Colorado Board of Regents is actively monitoring the protest on the Auraria Campus. We support the rights of our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors to exercise their First Amendment rights. We expect everyone to respect the learning, teaching and business environment that allows our university to function at its fullest extent. Those who engage in expressive conduct are expected to comply with relevant laws, policies and conduct codes that are intended to create a safe learning environment. Consequences will be imposed as applicable for those who don’t comply with these laws, policies and conduct codes.
No regent is offering any policy changes in response to the demands.”
