Student protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison clashed with police Wednesday after officers cleared out a pro-Palestinian encampment just two days after the student protest began.
University police gave demonstrators staying at the encampment a warning to evacuate shortly before 7 a.m. By 9 a.m., all but two tents had been removed, and UW-Madison Police had left the area.
UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas said 34 people were arrested Wednesday morning. Most were released without citations, but four demonstrators were taken to the Dane County Jail for resisting arrest and battery to a police officer.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said those protesting were informed of the possible consequences if the encampment was not removed.
“Every individual was given the opportunity to move away from the tent area and continue peaceful protest,” Mnookin wrote. “I cannot emphasize strongly enough our support for free expression and peaceful protest. Now that the illegal activity has been resolved, students and others are free to resume peaceful protest that abides by campus protest guidelines today or at any time in the future.”
But two hours later, protesters began setting up a new encampment with at least 15 tents. Leaders of the demonstration held trainings on how to resist further arrests and made plans for a march and rally for Wednesday afternoon.
While police removed tents and detained protesters who refused to leave, some demonstrators were handcuffed and taken away from the encampment. UW-Madison professor Sami Schalk was escorted by two officers as students shouted, “They’re arresting professors.”
Professors arrested; demonstrators and police report injuries
While the demonstrations Wednesday morning remained largely peaceful, at least two protesters were injured, according to the ACLU of Wisconsin.
UW-Madison professor Samer Alatout, who is Palestinian and an adviser to Students for Justice in Palestine, was pinned to the ground by police. He said he was “targeted by police for violence.”
“They pushed me into the ground,” Alatout told reporters. “They pushed me again and again and again.”
He had a gash on his head, which he said came from being hit with a police shield several times.
A video posted to social media appeared to show him pushing against police officers’ shields before the arrest.
In response, the ACLU of Wisconsin released a statement condemning the violence.
“Responding to peaceful acts of dissent with militarized police is dangerous and only makes things worse. Too often in situations like this, we’ve seen police behave recklessly, violate the law, and endanger people gathered at protests and acts of civil disobedience,” executive director Melinda Brennan said.
Student protester Mia Kurzer said the actions of police were uncalled for.
“We’re here for peace,” said Kurzer, who is Jewish and was wearing a small beaded Star of David necklace. “This is a government-funded institution, which we pay for. And it’s a public university. So I don’t understand why they can say we can’t be on public property that’s outside. We’re not blocking anything. We’re not disrupting people.”
Four police officers, including three Dane County deputies and one state trooper, were also injured, according to UW-Madison Police.
During a press conference after the encampment had been cleared, UW-Madison Police spokesperson Marc Lovicott said demonstrators are welcome on Library Mall as long they are not camping.
“They were illegally camping and using camping equipment here on campus. That’s the main reason why we were here today and what we enforced,” he told reporters. “We’re welcoming protesters and we’ve welcomed protesters here all along. You can’t camp here though.”
UW-Madison Dean of Students Christina Olstad tried to engage with students at around 9:30 a.m., but as she approached the demonstration, she was quickly chased off by protesters. They said she “didn’t protect students.”
Protests part of nationwide campus movement against Israel-Hamas war
The protest at UW-Madison, and a similar one at UW-Milwaukee, began on Monday. It came two weeks after students at Columbia University established the first such encampment.
The scene at UW-Milwaukee was calm Wednesday morning. A spokesperson for the university said they were aware of what was happening in Madison.
“At this time, UWM Police will continue to monitor the encampment on the lawn south of Mitchell Hall,” the statement said. “UWM’s first priority is the safety and well-being of our students, employees and visitors. Members of the UWM administration are having conversations with students and community members in the background and are working on peaceful resolutions.”
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said Wednesday that UW supports the right to free expression.
“We commit to upholding free speech rights while simultaneously upholding the law and our mission to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our community,” he wrote in a statement. “I commend Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin for her reasonableness and resolve, as well as her commitment to free expression and the safety and security of her students.”
Similar movements have spread to campuses across the country. They are a protest against the Israel-Hamas war and a demand that university administrations divest from Israeli companies, programs and causes.
Throughout the two days of UW protest, administrations on both campuses remained vague about when or if they’d remove the encampments. Both schools released statements saying that camping on campus is prohibited. UW-Madison officials previously said they would meet with students if the tents came down.
On Tuesday night, university leadership met with faculty liaisons, but did not meet with student organizers, according to The Daily Cardinal.
This story was originally published on WPR.
WPR’s Anya van Wagtendonk, Robert D’Andrea, Shawn Johnson, Sarah Lehr, Angela Major and Jenny Peek contributed reporting to this story.
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