The University of Illinois Police Department is seeking information about a criminal damage incident that occurred on Aug. 25, during which the word “DIVEST” was spray painted across the columns of Foellinger Auditorium.
Per a press release from the UIPD, multiple security cameras captured images of two individuals involved in the incident between 2:01 a.m. and 2:38 a.m.
“The damage was present on all six columns and required extensive labor to remove,” said the press release. “The investigation is ongoing, and police continue to seek additional information.”
The incident follows the spring encampment, where pro-Palestine protesters erected tents in front of the auditorium and asked the University to divest from companies involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
By the following morning on Aug. 26, the spray-painted letters were promptly covered with orange and blue tape.
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The University’s bylaws on Expressive Activity on Campus state the perpetrators may be held financially liable for the property damage.
According to an Instagram post from the UIUC Chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, “while SJP was not involved in this action, we want to voice our support for the message demanding the University of Illinois System divest from unethical industries like weapons manufacturing and fossil fuels.”
Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to contact the UIPD at 217-333-1216 or [email protected], the UIPD said in the press release.
