“At approximately 6:00 p.m. on June 2, two demonstrations taking place in Oakland converged on the Cathedral of Learning lawn. The group of demonstrators quickly erected wooden barricades, fencing, and other structures with tents inside” read a statement issued by the University.
The group leading the encampment identified themselves as ‘Pitt Divest from Apartheid’ a group made up of Pitt “students, faculty, staff, and community members,” according to a post on Instagram.
When we asked protest organizers what message they are trying to share through this encampment, they referred us to this statement they posted on Instagram. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/LQ3iok7J3O
— Ricky Sayer (@RickyReports) June 2, 2024
The University, however, directly refuted these claims in an email sent to the Pitt community Monday morning.
“A group of self-proclaimed leaders has emerged asking for meetings, but none of these leaders are students, and their affiliations are with organizations that also have no connection to the University,” wrote Chancellor Joan Gabel.
The group listed demands for the University to divest from organizations associated with Israel, support Palestinians and Palestinian academics, and dissolve the Pittsburgh Hillel Center “the focal point for Jewish campus life for more than 2,200 Jewish university students in Pittsburgh.” Ultimately, these demands went unaddressed by University leadership.
Local police from the city and nearby communities quickly responded Sunday night, establishing a perimeter nearby. One arrest was made shortly thereafter when a protester attempted to bring a case of water into the encampment after officers clearly stated that nothing could be brought into the protest.
In the school’s email statement, Gabel claimed that the suspect was not affiliated with the university and had been charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
Tensions escalated Monday night when a new group of protestors arrived on the scene intending to resupply the protestors in the encampment. Police, now surrounded by two groups of protestors including some with makeshift riot shields, donned riot gear and readied to prevent the resupply of the tent city.
Protestors rushed the police line and stormed the steps of the Cathedral in an attempt to reach the encampment, forcing an officer armed with a non-lethal bean bag shotgun to aim his weapon at the group of protestors.
Things began to calm down by 8 PM Monday, and despite the chaos, no additional arrests were made overnight.
The encampment was vacated after protestors met with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and members of the university’s leadership team according to Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto.
“We were able to have a peaceful resolution to what was a long two days, and that’s what we’re looking to do,” Scirotto said. “And people had the opportunity to be heard. That’s their objective. Our goal is to keep a safe environment.”
Early Tuesday morning, university officials began to clean up trash and tear down what was left of the encampment still on the lawn.
