MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota students are standing their ground, despite a pro-Palestinian protest camp getting cleared twice already this week.
After cops cleared out camps for the second time overnight and campus crews cleaned up the leftover graffiti, protesters returned Wednesday inside the student union and then outside.
“It’s more, ‘How could I not?’ I mean, like, schooling is important. My education is important to me. But like, people’s lives are more important,” said Maggie Moynihin, a student at the university.
But as tensions at the U seem to cool, concerns from Jewish groups about the protests’ messaging remain.
“Not all messaging, but some that are very eliminationist, that call for the destruction of Israel,” said Benjie Kaplan, Executive Director of Minnesota Hillel. “We hope kids can get through finals safely. No physical danger.”
Political pressure over the protests at campuses across the country is heating up.