Pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the Institute of Politics building at the University of Chicago on Friday afternoon, toppling furniture, damaging property and confronting the institute’s director, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. University officials said she refused their request for her to leave her office, adding that she was the only employee in the building.
The protest continued into the evening outside the institute, about two blocks from the protest camp. removed by campus police last week.
In a statement, the protest group on Friday said they occupied the building to protest the University of Chicago’s relationship with Israel. Bystander video showed protesters climbing through second-floor windows to leave the building as the crowd below cheered.
After protesters were cleared from the building by police, other protesters remained outside and in nearby courtyards, chanting, shouting and beating drums.
Jeremy Manier, a university spokesman, said in a statement that protesters attempted to block entrances to the building, damaged property and ignored orders from law enforcement officials to leave. .
“The University of Chicago is fundamentally committed to upholding the right of protesters to express a variety of views,” he said. “At the same time, university policies state that protests cannot endanger public safety, disrupt university operations, or involve the destruction of property.”
A sign identifying the Political Institute building was covered with a cardboard sign reading “permanent ceasefire now” and a series of demands hung on the building. Among the demands was “abolition of the university.”
Jeremy W. Peters Report contributions.
