Police broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment at Wayne State University and arrested 12 people. 

Tents and fences were previously set up on the lawn outside the Wayne State undergraduate library. Police in riot gear removed the fences and broke down the tents constructed last week, following several warnings issued, according to reports.

Due to the encampment and protest, President Kimberly Andrews Espy released a statement addressing possible concerns of health and safety on campus, so in-person classes were suspended and Wayne State staff was urged to work remotely.

“No individual or group is permitted to claim campus property for their own use and deny others access to that property,” Espy said.

The encampment, she said, “created an environment of exclusion — one in which some members of our campus community felt unwelcome and unable to fully participate in campus life.”

The Associated Press reported that as the encampment was removed, 12 people were arrested for offenses such as trespassing, and one for assaulting a police officer, according to spokesperson Matt Lockwood.

Protesters were heard chanting, “There’s no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” 

Protest efforts have called for the university to divest from Israel as well as provide a disclosure of investments, and to end delegation trips to Israel.

A video posted on behalf of Wayne State showed their efforts to invite protesters to participate in private meeting with Espy if they cleared their encampment. Those efforts were rejected, Lockwood said, according to AP News. 

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) also made an appearance at the encampment on campus to show her support for the protesters. 

U.S. Rep Rashida Tlaib talks with police offers on Wayne State’s campus. Photo: Junfu Han / Detroit Free Press

A student representing WSU Students for Justice in Palestine, Ali Hassan, told WXYZ-TV that he believes the university is recognizing their protests due to the suspension of in-person classes and the shift to remote learning. 

“The reason that they went remote is because we have put pressure on them,” he said.

Fatina Abdravboh, a protester who was detained and released, said in a Fox 2 report, “I call on all people who love freedom to call on Wayne State University to stop sending its riot police to harass students and instead – do the right thing. The energy here today is incredible.”

“I am still shook. I’m going to be honest with you – I’m still shocked,” said Lana, another student who was detained and released. “It was an abrupt order for dispersal. It was violent, it was brutal, it was an unnecessary response. They pushed me to the ground. They took other board members, organizers, they snatch them, they grabbed their hijab off.”

Wayne State said that police officers gave several warnings to the protesters before eventually tearing down the tents and fences.

WSU’s full statement reads:

“The encampment at Wayne State University was removed this morning. After ongoing consultation with the Board of Governors, university leadership and leaders in the community – and after many good-faith efforts to reach a different conclusion – this was the right time to take this necessary step.

“Starting at approximately 5:30 a.m., officers from the Wayne State University Police Department made repeated amplified announcements to allow everyone time to gather their belongings and leave. Many people left. Final cleanup of the area is ongoing, and campus operations will remain remote for today. We will announce tomorrow’s operations later today.

“At Wayne State, we live by an unwavering set of values – including collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion – as well as a commitment to safety, security and equity for our entire campus community. As president, I have a responsibility to uphold these values for all to live, learn and work.

“Since the encampment was established on May 23, it presented legal, health and safety, and operational challenges for our community. University leadership repeatedly engaged with occupants of the encampment; descriptions of our actions and videos of these interactions are archived publicly here.

“In each conversation, we reiterated that the occupants were trespassing on university property, and we asked that the encampment be removed. No individual or group is permitted to claim campus property for their own use and deny others access to that property.

“The encampment created multiple legal, health and safety challenges that disrupted our operations and required us to shift to remote operations this week. The encampment also created an environment of exclusion – one in which some members of our campus community felt unwelcome and unable to fully participate in campus life.

“Wayne State University has a proud history of supporting freedom of speech, religion and the right to peacefully protest, while respecting the voices of our students, faculty, staff and community. When actions violate the law, threaten health and safety, or impair the ability of our campus community to conduct the work of the university, however, we must act.

“Meanwhile, we remain more committed than ever to our mission of creating and advancing knowledge, preparing a diverse student body to thrive and positively impacting local and global communities.

“Thank you for your continued support of Wayne State’s mission and values.”