Minnesota police clear out anti-Israel protest in the heart of Ilhan Omar’s congressional district
Fox News
Police at the University of Minnesota cleared out an anti-Israel protest encampment from its Twin Cities campus, which is located in progressive “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar’s district, and arrested nine demonstrators early Tuesday.
The university’s Department of Public Safety received reports that a group had set up an encampment with tents on the north end of the Northrop Mall, a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Officers warned the protesters around 6 a.m. that those present were in violation of university policy and state trespassing law as tents are not allowed on campus without a permit, the spokesperson said, adding that “no encampments, tents, fires, or other types of encampment living arrangements have ever been permitted on any university properties or in buildings.”
“The group was asked to disperse by 7 a.m. and told they would be arrested if they chose to stay past that time,” the university spokesperson said. “Some of those present chose to disperse and continue peacefully protesting, but nine chose to remain and were arrested without incident.”
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Those arrested were taken on trespassing charges to the Hennepin County jail, where more than a dozen demonstrations gathered to protest the arrests, Minnesota Public Radio reported.
Meanwhile, the university’s statement said that it supports the rights of its community “to speak and demonstrate peacefully” as similar protests occur around the country.
“In light of protests around the country and this morning’s activity on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus, it’s important to note that the U of M supports and respects free speech through lawful protest,” the statement said.
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Other encampments have taken over campuses at Columbia University and New York University in New York City and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. These protests have led some universities to cancel some in-person classes and have also led to arrests.
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was among one of more than 100 demonstrators who were arrested during a protest at Columbia University last week. Omar praised her daughter in a post on social media following her arrest.
The 21-year-old Hirsi had said that she had been suspended from Barnard College in New York City earlier that day for “standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office about the campus protest in her district but didn’t immediately hear back.