Friday, April 26, 2024 – STORRS – The concrete is deceptively comfortable at first. Like when you lay flat on the floor to stretch out your back after a very long day. But alas, it does not take much time for knots to tie themselves into tight little balls around your shoulders and ice to creep its way down the length of your sleeping bag.
You feel the chilling midnight air bite at your feet through what protection you have and decide to toss the hand warmer someone had given you earlier in the night down the bag, in the hopes it’ll provide some heat. It does, for a time but not before you need to kick it around a few times to restart the chemical reaction. Then comes a silvery voice, cutting through the moaning midnight breeze. It sounds just like the stars piercing the void veil hung above you, “Joey, when’s the last time we had a sleepover?”
You genuinely cannot remember. It takes you a moment to respond, “Maybe middle school?” you say unconfidently. You both drift back into silence. The frost presses closer as you close your eyes and try to sleep, unsure if the sunrise will bring liberation or arrest.
Day One
At 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, University of Connecticut students gathered around Dove Tower, located between the university library and UConn School of Business, joining students across the nation in demanding that their universities divest from Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinian people.
Students arrived carrying blankets, tents, chairs and other supplies such as food and water. Many brought backpacks filled with laptops and books. The historic protest marks the first large-scale demonstration of civil disobedience on the campus since 1974, when Black students occupied the library as a part of a campaign which demanded more representation and resources for students of color. More than 200 students were arrested.
The UConn students voiced four demands of university administration: First, for the university to divest from genocide; second, for the university to cut ties with military industrial entities such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin; third, for the university to cut ties to the settler-colonialist state of Israel; and fourth, for the university to end its repression of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian activists, according to protest organizers.
After students established the encampment dubbed the “UCommune,” university and Connecticut state police were seen grabbing students’ persons and belongings, say eyewitnesses.
The police state they were acting on the grounds of a new policy the university instituted no more than 24 hours before the demonstration began, that banned the use of tents on campus. No notice of the new regulation was made until nearly 5 p.m. on Friday. Tents have been seen outside of the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, the university’s basketball arena, during sporting events for the championship-winning basketball teams; the pavilion is located directly across the street from the student encampment.
As tensions with police escalated, students formed a defensive ring around the tents by locking arms. Police were seen pushing the circle of students, violently grabbing them by the arms and shoulders in attempts to break through the chain of bodies, eyewitnesses state. “They grabbed my arm to try to unlock it and violently pushed the person next to me, trying to throw her to the ground,” said one student demonstrator, “I had to support her so she wouldn’t fall down. They came in full force.”
As police efforts failed they became more aggressive, trying to reach the tents over the shoulders of students swaying and buckling under the weight of the assault. One student reported that an officer drew his knife and reached past students in order to cut the elastic band of a tent set up behind him.
Police broke through the wall of students and entered the encampment, destroying and confiscating tent equipment. One student, who is disabled, was seen sitting on the edge of a tent as one last defense. Officers quickly moved to the sitting student and attempted to remove them but were almost immediately blocked by another protester putting himself in between law enforcement and the targeted student. That demonstrator was seen thrown to the ground, dislocating his shoulder and placed under arrest, say eyewitnesses. The student was charged with interference but returned to the camp a few hours later with much celebration from communard. Police left one tent standing, broken and sagging. Police would not make another assault on the camp that night but would continue circling and monitoring the camp.
At night, an increased number of students congregated at the UCommune. Students distributed food, water, blankets, sleeping bags and hand warmers. Faculty showed their support for their students, bringing hot chocolate and donuts. One of the faculty said to this reporter while offering a warm drink, “We are so proud of you all.”
Following Isha, or “night prayer,” students settled in for the long, cold night. Temperatures would drop as low as 28 degrees Fahrenheit or -1.3 degrees Celsius. Due to the removal of their tents, students would have very little to protect themselves from the campus’ infamous winds.
Police presence was constant, officers eventually choosing to bring their vehicles up onto the sidewalks in order to shelter themselves from the cold. Police cars would rotate in and out with each other throughout the night.
At approximately 4 a.m., students were startled by a loud bang as one unmarked law enforcement vehicle attempted to pull out of the pedestrian square. Some were awoken by the noise, while others would report they thought it was a dream. A few had been awake to witness it themselves. Once dawn had passed, this reporter and a student activist went to investigate where the police had been seen when the sound was heard. It was discovered that while attempting a three-point turn to leave the sidewalk, the officer driving the vehicle backed into a nearby metal railing, deforming it. The officer and vehicle responsible remained just past the railing, idle in the parking lot. A large dent was visible in the front passenger side door.
Day Two
At approximately 7:30 a.m., organizers distributed boiled eggs, hash browns and oranges. At approximately 8 a.m., word that two prison vans were parked nearby circulated around the camp. Students packed sleeping bags and supplies in preparation for an altercation.
After approximately 20 minutes, approximately 20 police approached from the western end of the square. Students in the camp were told by organizers that if they were to come face to face with an officer and be put under arrest, that they must not resist. “It sucks, but you just have to let it happen,” said one organizer. The force walked through the square and exited just as quickly as they arrived. Police presence around the encampment was noticeably reduced afterwards. No altercation occurred.
The rest of the day passed in relative peace compared to the evening prior. Jumu’ah, or “Friday Prayer” would be held that day at 1:15 p.m. followed by educational workshops at 2 p.m., Maghrib Prayer, or “Sunset Prayer” and a Passover Seder with the Hartford Jewish Organizing Collective in the evening. Some professors even chose to hold their classes out on the green next to the encampment.
Day Three
Around 8:20 a.m., police approached the encampment and claimed they had taken photographs of students and identified demonstrators while they were asleep, threatening future disciplinary action. Protestors largely saw this as a fear tactic but were still incredibly uncomfortable regarding their invasive nature.
Student leaders and organizers met with the provost Anne D’Alleva to deliver an updated list of demands including: Amnesty for all students faculty and other people involved in all Palestine related activities, including but not limited to the encampment; for the university to condemn the unreasonable and harmful response to the lawful and peaceful protest; for the university to acknowledge the ex-post facto policy prohibition on tents in addition to the development of a policy, which “delineates a procedure which provides for due process and public comment regarding any future policy changes to campus life;” for the university to condemn the Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian, anti-Black and anti-Arab incidents that have occurred on campus and commit to a “proper and comprehensive investigation” into the complaints put forth by Palestinian students such as: The harassment and threatening of Palestinians at Israel Fest by a Hillel Fellow, the distribution of pamphlets by Hillel students likening Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students to terrorists, racist graffiti in the science building, including racial slurs that equated Palestinians to terrorists, the attempted cancellation of a 2019 event featuring Linda Sarsour following one UConn Foundation member’s concern regarding Sarsour’s political views, and the “discriminatory, bigoted, and communally harmful language used by [UConn] administrators.”
The demands brought to the negotiations also included the original four stated when the encampment was established. The letter of demands closed with, “We will exhaust all options and bring people from all over Connecticut to ensure the longevity and safety of our constitutionally protected demonstration.”
No response had come from the university administration as of Sunday night.
Day Four
At 12:05 p.m. on Sunday, law enforcement “were able to freely access the camp, walk around and record signage, looking for provocative or ‘inappropriate’ messaging from participants,” according to a statement posted to the official UCommune Instagram account @uconndivest. Students formed a defensive wall circling the camp as officers made more attempts to enter while demonstrator liaisons attempted to de-escalate tensions.
According to the same statement, after law enforcement retreated back to their monitor from a distance, campus police claimed that the students protecting the camp “constituted a ‘demonstration’ of a violation of the university policy prohibiting the blockage of access to public space,” despite having entered the camp freely just prior.
As of Sunday night, demonstrators have set up more tents in preparation for more rain overnight. Police have not taken any action since the new tents have been erected. Students are adamant that the encampment will continue until their demands are met.
Update: At 7:30 a.m. today police invaded the student encampment placing all students still present in the camp under arrest. Bystanders could be heard chanting “Hands of our students,” and “Shame” as police walked off with students in custody.
Once camp was clear of students, law enforcement tore it down in its entirety. As tents fell and officers blocked students from re-entering camp a chant erupted across the green “UCPD, KKK, IDF you’re all the same.” The entirety of the action was live streamed on the UConn SJP Instagram account.
Joey Gottlieb of Stratford is Pace University student who participated in the UConn protest with friends.