Dozens of demonstrators were taken into custody at Yale University on Monday morning after a camp grew in size to attract several hundred people calling for the school to remove investments from military weapons makers, the university reported. university said.
In a statement, Yale said officials warned the demonstrators at Beinecke Plaza to leave and take away their belongings, after informing them “numerous times” that “if they continued to violate Yale’s policies and instructions regarding occupying outdoor spaces, they could face law enforcement and disciplinary action, including reprimand, probation, or suspension.” policies and instructions regarding occupying outdoor spaces, they could face law enforcement and disciplinary action, including reprimand, probation, or suspension.”
The statement mentioned that the 47 students were given summonses and will be referred for Yale disciplinary action.
The university detailed the efforts it made to negotiate with the student demonstrators, before some ultimately were arrested.
On Sunday, according to the statement, university officials spent “several hours in discussion with student protestors,” including offering a meeting with trustees, including the chair of the Corporation Committee on Investor Responsibility (CCIR), and “to avoid arrest if they left the plaza by the end of the weekend.”
“They declined this offer and continued to occupy the plaza,” the university said. “The university extended the deadline for a response to their offer to meet with the CCIR and trustees several times, with negotiations concluding unsuccessfully at 11:30 p.m.”
After negotiations ended early Monday morning, Yale Police Department isolated the area and asked for identification of the protesters, at which point some left voluntarily, the statement said. The officers issued the 47 summonses only after they “did not comply after multiple requests.”
“The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community,” the university said.
“Yale provides detailed guidance on free expression, peaceable assembly, and requesting the use of on-campus outdoor spaces,” its statement continued. “Since the protest started, the university and the Yale Police Department worked to reduce the likelihood of confrontations and arrests.”
Yale’s president, Peter Salovey, on Sunday warned of potential disciplinary actions against the students, who he said were violating university policies and creating safety hazards.
“Constructing structures, defying the directives of university officials, staying in campus spaces past allowed times, and other acts that violate university policies and guidelines create safety hazards and impede the work of our university,” Salovey said in a statement. “We are continuing to speak with students who are participating in protests, so they understand the disciplinary consequences of actions that violate Yale’s policies. Yale will pursue disciplinary actions according to its policies.”
The arrests come after a similar encampment at Columbia University last week resulted in more than 100 arrests of student protesters.
Some of the protests were peaceful, but there were also instances of antisemitic language that made Jewish students on campuses scared and received criticism from government leaders and public officials.
A rabbi at Columbia told Jewish students to go home quickly due to increased security concerns for the holiday of Passover, which starts Monday evening.
At Yale, Salovey acknowledged that many protesters, and those counterprotesting, did so peacefully. However, he was aware of reports of aggressive behavior including intimidation, harassment, pushing, removing the plaza flag, and other harmful acts.
Salovey stated that Yale does not accept actions or comments that threaten, harass, or intimidate members of the university’s Jewish, Muslim, and other communities. The Yale Police Department is investigating each report, and they will take appropriate action, including referring students for discipline and providing support to affected students.
