A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups is ramping up its protest activity at the University of Minnesota with a planned walkout and rally outside President Rebecca Cunningham’s inauguration on Wednesday afternoon.
UMN Divest is protesting the Board of Regents’ decision this summer to take a “position of neutrality” on the university’s endowment. Divestment from Israeli companies and U.S. defense contractors was a key demand of student protesters in the spring. Students are also objecting to university guidelines limiting protest activity.
Fae Hodges, student organizer with the UMN Divest Coalition and member of Students for a Democratic Society, said Wednesday’s rally on Northrop Mall aims to relaunch the campaign for divestment and Palestinian rights after protests dwindled during the summer.
“This is a really important time as a new administration comes in to make student voices heard,” Hodges said.
The group has held four protests since fall semester began, drawing around 100 students each time. All of those protests ended peacefully.