Northwestern University officials announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with students and faculty protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza. The agreement aims to allow demonstrations to continue while preventing chaos and occasional violence that have been seen on other campuses.
The deal was reached five days after protesters set up an encampment in Deering Meadow, a popular common area on the Evanston campus. Initially, administrators responded by banning tents and temporary structures. However, they did not enforce the new policy as they negotiated with protesters throughout the weekend.
Northwestern President Michael Schill announced the agreement in a campus-wide email. According to the agreement, protesters must immediately remove tents and sound systems and commit to adhering to university policies. In return, demonstrations can continue on the meadow through June 1.
Schill emphasized that the agreement was the result of hard work by students, faculty, and administration to prevent violence and escalation at Northwestern. He also addressed reports of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents in the community, attributing most of them to demonstrators not affiliated with Northwestern.
"Acts of antisemitism, anti-Muslim/Arab racism, and hate will not be tolerated," Schill wrote, "and community members identified participating in such acts will face disciplinary action."