Nearly 70 pro-Palestinian protesters were taken into custody outside the Art Institute of Chicago over the weekend amid a rise in anti-Israel demonstrations across major U.S. cities.
The arrests occurred when a group attempted to set up tents in the Art Institute’s north garden area. The individuals facing charges for criminal trespass to property included students from the School of the Art Institute and members of Columbia College Chicago, according to Chicago’s WLS-TV.
Authorities intervened and removed the tents after 4:30 p.m. The police noted that they had tried to cooperate with the protesters to find a different location for their demonstration, but the protest organizers, some of whom were not affiliated with the school, refused to engage in dialogue. Despite offers of leniency and support from the school administrators, the situation escalated as protesters became violent and uncooperative.
The Chicago Police Department attempted to negotiate with the demonstrators for two hours, issuing three warnings before eventually dispersing the group and making arrests.
While the Art Institute acknowledged the protesters’ right to demonstrate peacefully, they denounced the violent behavior that occurred during the protest.
In a previous incident in January, the Art Institute faced legal action for alleged antisemitic discrimination. The school was sued under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act after a Jewish student accused a professor of promoting anti-Israel sentiments in a class assignment.
The Art Institute is not the only Chicago institution dealing with protests from pro-Palestinian activists. Similar encampments and demonstrations have taken place at the University of Chicago, where demands for reparations and police defunding were issued.
Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez were among those who visited the University of Chicago encampment, showcasing support for the protesters.
Sigcho-Lopez had previously sparked controversy for attending a rally where an American flag was burned. Despite facing backlash, he claimed he was unaware of the flag-burning incident.
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