The protesters in the encampment at the U of M packed up and left on their own after a negotiated settlement. A vastly superior outcome than riot cops busting in with tear gas and concussion grenades.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/05/02/university-of-minnesota-protests-divestment-agreement
Naturally, some were furious that negotiations took place at all.
That's a great solution and I'm glad it worked out.
It takes two parties
willing to negotiate, to come to a negotiated settlement.
Unfortunately in many of the cases around the country, the protestors are unwilling to negotiate. Indeed they've openly stated before, and during their illegal encampment/occupation protests, that they intentionally plan to disregard the campus rules and state and local laws that are in place to protect ALL of the students and staff, not just a vocal minority. Not only are they unwilling to negotiate, their stated and sole purpose is to flaunt the rules.
There is no negotiating with people who have taken that stance. Which is why I'm proud of UT for being proactive for removing the protestors that were intentionally breaking the law and intentionally tempting violence so they could then claim oppression. It's a coward's tactic and I'm glad that it was thwarted at Texas.
UT has always been a protest-heavy campus. Austin is a very liberal city within the heart of a very conservative state, and UT is the epicenter of that liberalism. This year alone, students have organized scores of legitimate, peaceful protests and rallies that had no incidents.
This, was not that. These protestors had no intentions of a peaceful protest within the rules, and in fact stated such, as one of their goals, many times. Removing the ones that were breaking the law was essential.
Otherwise Texas could look just like UCLA, Columbia, or Portland State right now.
No thanks.