DENVER — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken down their encampment on the University of Denver campus following a 20-day protest.
Members of DU for Palestine began occupying the space outside the university’s administrative building on Carnegie Green on May 9. The group was calling for DU to disclose all of its investments; divest from all companies invested in and responsible “for the illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide of Palestinians”; boycott Israel economically and academically; release a public statement “that acknowledges the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, calls for an immediate ceasefire, and supports an end to the illegal occupation”; and protect free speech on campus.
In a letter, DU Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said university leadership met with members of DU for Palestine Tuesday regarding "ongoing concerns about their and the wider community's safety." The encampment remained mostly peaceful, but there was a "sharp increase in reports of discriminatory and harassing behavior from individuals both inside and outside the encampment" in recent days, the chancellor said in a previous letter. The university announced last week it would erect a protective barrier around the encampment after demonstrators became targets of verbal and physical attacks.
The campus also experienced two acts of vandalism over four days. During the first incident, a false emergency call was used to distract DU safety officials and Denver police from an "act of significant vandalism" to the engineering and computer science building. Days later, three people were arrested for allegedly vandalizing Craig Hall.
The university on Tuesday told protesters it would not meet their demands "for practical and policy-guided reasons," according to Haefner. He continued, "The protesters, in return, shared the deep dedication and passion for the cause that brought them together in the first place."
The encampment was taken down Wednesday morning, according to Haefner. The chancellor extended his thanks to the faculty and staff who helped with the "peaceful conclusion" of the protest.
"As we move forward, I encourage all students, faculty and staff to engage in meaningful and respectful discussions. Together, we can impact positive change while maintaining a constructive and safe environment. Let us recommit to fostering an atmosphere of thoughtful dialogue and intellectual humility – one that upholds our values and commits to the safety and belonging of our entire campus community," Haefner said.
The university had previously given encampment participants until 9 p.m. on May 21 to shut down. Demonstrators defied that deadline.
A similar encampment that was erected on the Auraria Campus came down nearly two weeks ago following a 22-day protest.
