Police dismantles pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Chicago

CHICAGO (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Police moved in overnight and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Chicago campus.

The decision was made after university officials said on Monday that talks between the protesters and the school were "suspended."

Before dawn, officers with the University Police Department entered the encampment and began taking down tents and other structures.

The protesters were ordered to leave or face criminal charges, along with a leave of absence from the university.

There were some tense moments on Tuesday as protesters confronted officers after the encampment was cleared.

One protester, Christopher Lacovetti, described the decision to tear down the encampment as "cowardly."

"It's disgusting and it's cowardly and it's characteristic of this university. the cops stormed in when everyone was asleep. They violently tore apart the camp. they were throwing chairs, wood planks everywhere. One chair almost hit my girlfriend in the head, a metal chair. They had no regard whatsoever. All that they were interested in doing was making sure they could shut this movement down as fast as possible because at the end of the day they are just following orders like every other functionary in every other genocide by trying to suppress one of the only sources of hope that the people of Gaza have right now, which is a student movement across this country in the heart of U.S. empire, saying we refuse to allow a genocide to be perpetrated on a ghetto of two million people, one million children, with our tax dollars, with our tuition dollars. and we won't stand for it."

Christopher Lacovetti, Pro-Palestinian Protester