May 1, 10:15 a.m.
Day four of the student encampment has started similarly to the previous three days and follows an uneventful night on the Main Quad.
Since the protest in front of Alma Mater on Friday, interactions between the University administration and community demonstrators have relaxed. Protesters began placing tents on the south side of the Main Quad on Sunday afternoon near a sign that read “UIUC LIBERATION ZONE.”
Protesters were left undisturbed in the three days since they moved to the Main Quad and have seen minimal interactions with the police and other demonstrators. The number of tents in the encampment has more than doubled from roughly 20 to around 47.
After repeated attempts fell through, negotiations are still at a standstill between the University administration and protesters. Protest groups, including the Students for Justice in Palestine, have repeatedly stated that the University is responsible for conversations not occurring. However, the University put out a statement on Sunday stating that protesters refused an offer for discussions.
At 8 a.m. today, SJP released a “UIUC Encampment for Palestine Report,” in which it discussed the protestors’ experiences and laid out its demands for the University administration.
“We demand the University of Illinois System, invest in students and community rather than genocide,” the statement read.
The report also stated that “The administration violated labor law by forcing building and service workers to suppress student speech, removing tents surrounded police.”
Following the heated protests between police, protestors and Facilities & Services workers on Friday, the Campus Faculty Association, along with the Non-Tenure Faculty Union Coalition, released statements in which they condemned the University for sending building service workers into the protests.
“This attempt to force our amazing BSWs to participate in the suppression of a political action is woefully irresponsible and unacceptable in trampling on the human, civil, and labor rights of any individual on this campus,” the CFA’s statement read.
