Protesters overtake Morrill Hall on U of M Minneapolis campus, 11 arrested

Eleven people were booked into custody at Hennepin County Jail on various probable cause charges including riot, trespassing, and damage to property.

By
Crime Watch MN
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Still image from video supplied to Crime Watch Minneapolis

A group of pro-Palestine protesters barricaded themselves inside Morrill Hall on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus on Monday and proceeded to damage property and prevent staff from leaving the building, according to a statement later released by the school.

Minneapolis police began responding after 4 p.m. to the university to assist U of M police for a “civil disturbance,” according to police scanner audio. At about 4:40 p.m., the university issued a safety alert stating that “Protestors have entered Morrill Hall on the East Bank, causing property damage and restricting entrance and exit from the building.”

Images supplied to Crime Watch Minneapolis showed a SWAT vehicle and multiple squads on campus, as well as doors at Morrill Hall blocked with patio furniture and a bike lock on the doors.

Just before 6 p.m., a video clip posted by a Minnesota Daily reporter showed police appearing to zip tie and arrest protesters inside the building.

According to social media posts, the protesters are demanding the university “fully divest from Israel” due to its ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. The U of M declined to take divestment action in August, and instead adopted a policy of “institutional neutrality” related to investing its Consolidated Endowment Fund, according to a statement on its website.

One video clip supplied to Crime Watch showed a protester on Monday shouting through a large bullhorn, while others held signs and Palestinian flags.

Eleven people were eventually booked into custody at Hennepin County Jail on various probable cause charges including riot, trespassing, and damage to property. The protesters range in age from 18 to 26, and none had been formally charged at the time of this report.

The university issued the following statement after the protest had ended:

“Protesters assembled on the lawn in front of Coffman Memorial Union starting around 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Shortly before 4 p.m., a group of these individuals quickly moved north, up the Northrop Mall, and entered Morrill Hall.
Once inside the building, protesters began spray painting, including covering lenses of all internal security cameras, breaking interior windows, and barricading the building’s entrance and exit points. The full extent of the damage is unknown. A number of staff were working in the building at the time, and several people were not able to exit, with some being unable to exit the building for an extended period of time.
To ensure the safety of U of M employees in the building who were unable to exit, and in light of property damage sustained to the building, University of Minnesota Police Department was called to the scene to address the situation. With necessary support from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, UMPD entered the building at approximately 5:40 p.m. and arrested 11 people. No additional information is available at this time about the individuals arrested or the extent of damage to property.
An investigation is ongoing.”

Imran Ali, a former prosecutor and current general counsel for the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, called on Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to hold the arrested parties accountable.

“The Hennepin County Attorney must send a message that this behavior cannot be tolerated. I expect each of these people to be charged with False Imprisonment, a felony in Minnesota,” he said. “Consequences provide accountability. Do your job and what you were elected to do without fear of politics.”

Alpha News will continue to follow developments in this story.

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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.

 

Crime Watch MN
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.

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