Chicago Police Arrest 68 Pro-Palestinian Protesters Outside Art Institute

The Chicago Police Department additionally claimed to have tried speaking with the protesters, however after two hours of failed negotiations, and three warnings, the police gave up and moved in to clear them.

The Art Institute stated they revered the rights of the group to protest, however once they turned threatening and violent, their support got here to an finish.

The faculty issued an announcement saying:

The Art Institute of Chicago respects a bunch’s proper to peacefully protest with out harming workers and guests. Today, a bunch of people, together with some SAIC college students, started a protest within the museum’s North Garden, and because it progressed, protesters surrounded and shoved a safety officer and stole their keys to the museum, blocked emergency exits, and barricaded gates. The protest additionally started to escalate on Michigan Avenue outdoors of the museum. Because our precedence is the security of our staff, our guests, and our assortment, protesters have been supplied another location to proceed their protest on campus that may be safer for all concerned, and they didn’t settle for that relocation supply. During a number of rounds of negotiations, SAIC pupil protesters have been promised amnesty from tutorial sanction and trespassing expenses in the event that they agreed to relocate. The faculty additionally agreed to satisfy with a pupil group to debate their calls for. After roughly 5 hours, an settlement couldn’t be reached. The Chicago Police Department ended the protest within the most secure means attainable, and we estimate that roughly 50 individuals have been arrested.

The Art Institute has already had issues with antisemitism.

In January, the varsity was sued below Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act for “pervasive and severe antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”