On September 5, 2024, students at the University of Minnesota marched down Washington Avenue. A pro-Palestinian coalition is intensifying its protests with a planned walkout and rally outside President Rebecca Cunningham’s inauguration on Wednesday afternoon September 18.
UMN Divest is protesting the Board of Regents’ decision to adopt a neutral stance on the university’s endowment, which they argue should include divestment from Israeli companies and U.S. defense contractors. Students are also criticizing new guidelines that restrict protest activities.
Fae Hodges, a student organizer with UMN Divest and the Students for a Democratic Society, stated that the rally aims to revive the campaign for divestment and Palestinian rights, which had slowed over the summer.
The group has organized four protests since the semester began, each attracting around 100 students and concluding peacefully.
Cunningham, who began her presidency on July 1, succeeded Interim President Jeff Ettinger.
Ettinger had previously negotiated an end to a student encampment and reversed a decision to hire historian Raz Segal, who had called Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide,” due to backlash from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
In August, the Board of Regents decided against divesting from Israel. Cunningham also clarified the university’s policy on civic engagement, which includes restrictions on protest size, equipment, and timing.
Sima Shakhsari, an associate professor and member of Educators for Justice in Palestine, criticized the new administration for allegedly discriminating against pro-Palestinian voices.
The students have not requested a permit for the rally, rejecting the need for one.
Their updated demands include revisiting the divestment decision, ending study abroad programs to Israel, issuing a statement in support of Palestinian students, and reinstating Raz Segal.
