Suspensions have been dropped against pro-Palestine students who were involved in the occupation of a campus building at the University of Minnesota last fall, according to a student group.
“On March 10, after 10 days of deliberation, the University of Minnesota’s panel for the disciplinary hearing of the students arrested during the occupation of Halimy Hall decided that the student protestors were found not responsible for the unjust charges of violation of local, state or federal laws, theft, property damage, and vandalism because of the absolute lack of evidence,” said a statement from the University of Minnesota chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
The group went on to say that the students will be subject to one year of disciplinary probation, 40 hours of community service, and a ban on entering Morrill Hall (which the student group refers to as Halimy Hall) for one year. They will also write a letter to the employees impacted by their actions and participate in a “listening circle” with those staff members, according to the statement.
“The panel also notably found the protestors not guilty of violating local, state, or federal laws, further delineating the illegitimacy of the current bogus felony charges on protestor Robyn Harbison,” the statement said. “While the University and [President] Rebecca Cunningham continue to preemptively appeal to Zionist bodies and Trump’s increasingly repressive executive orders, the students and the pro-Palestine movement stand strong.”
Suspensions have been dropped against the students who overtook Morrill Hall in October. @UMNSDS announced on their Instagram- see the below thread for a refresher on the tens of thousands of dollars in damages caused on this campus building—- https://t.co/emJegwsYXP pic.twitter.com/iKmkMjI5xx
— Watch Dog UMN (@WatchDogUMN) March 11, 2025
Eleven individuals were arrested on Oct. 21 after barricading themselves inside Morrill Hall, damaging property and preventing staff from exiting the building, according to a statement from the university.
The individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 26, were initially booked on various probable cause charges, including riot, trespassing, and damage to property. However, only one of them was formally charged, according to the Associated Press, which reported that eight of the arrested parties were students and three were alumni.
According to The Minnesota Daily, some of the students involved were facing suspensions of up to two-and-a-half years and restitution payments of more than $5,000.
“The dropping of suspensions and restitutions, as well as the panel finding the protestors not guilty on a majority of the initial Student Code violations, is a huge win for pro-Palestinian student activism,” the SDS statement claimed.
The protesters were demanding that the university “fully divest from Israel” due to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.
The University of Minnesota provided a statement to Alpha News regarding the alleged dropping of suspensions, saying:
“We are confident that the University is following appropriate policies and procedures in this matter.
Federal and state privacy laws prevent the University of Minnesota from commenting on any individual student matter. If a student authorizes the release of information, a more complete summary of findings can be shared broadly, consistent with the scope of the release.
While we cannot speak about the status of the University’s disciplinary process in individual cases, even when there are misunderstandings and misrepresentations shared by others, we are strongly committed to addressing misconduct. The internal process to address a variety of types of misconduct is admittedly inadequate at times, and in situations like the Morrill Hall incident, when appropriate, county and city law enforcement assesses criminal remedies. The University fully cooperates with those public authorities.
The safety, security and wellbeing of our staff, students and faculty is and will always remain our highest priority. Following the Oct. 21 events at Morrill Hall, University President Rebecca Cunningham emphasized the following in a message directly to all students, faculty and staff:
‘As a community, we must ensure that free expression and protest occurs in a manner that does not jeopardize our collective sense of safety and wellbeing. We have seen many peaceful protests. What happened in Morrill Hall was not a form of legitimate protest. Threatening behavior and destruction of property have absolutely no place within our community.’
The University remains fully committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcomed and protected at the University of Minnesota. Harassment, intimidation and bias against any member of our University community will not be tolerated. We all play an essential role in supporting a welcoming environment, ensuring our campuses continue to be places where inclusivity is celebrated, and where every individual feels safe, valued and respected.”
SDS plans to hold a “panel discussion” on March 27 with the “Halimy Hall arrestees about their fight against political repression and to preserve the right to protest for Palestine on campus.”
The Department of Justice recently announced that its Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism will be visiting the University of Minnesota, while the Department of Education said it is investigating the school for reports of “widespread antisemitic harassment.”
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
