Pro-Palestinian protesters re-establish an encampment on Cathedral lawn

At least 200 Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside of the Cathedral of Learning lawn on Sunday evening to re-establish a “Palestine solidarity encampment.” At least one person was arrested. This comes over a month after the previous “Gaza solidarity encampment,” which saw a large group of protesters set up camp in Schenley Park for nearly a week. 

The protests began at the Cathedral lawn around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evening. The protestors set up wooden barricades and fences to block police from entering the encampment. As the evening went on, more protesters joined the initial group. 

Pitt Divest from Apartheid, which helped organize the protest, said in a press release that it is demanding that the University divest its finances from “companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine.”

“The encampment has been established on University property to send a clear message to Chancellor Joan Gabel, Board of Trustees Chair Louis R. Cestello, Chief Investment Officer Jeffer Choudhry and the rest of senior administration and the Board,” Pitt Divest from Apartheid said in a press release. “Our community does not support and is not represented by a parasitic administration which rests in its complicity in genocide.”

A large law enforcement presence, consisting of campus, city and state police, eventually formed around the perimeter of the encampment. Around 20 police cars lined up on Fifth Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard.

At around 9 p.m. police appeared to confiscate water bottles and ice bags that protesters attempted to bring into the encampment. Shortly after this, a brief struggle ensued as police attempted to arrest a protester for unknown reasons. The protester was taken away in a police car.

It remains unclear how long the protesters will remain at the encampment. The University has yet to release a statement regarding the protest. 

A previous version of this story credited Pitt Students for Justice in Palestine with posting the press release and organizing the encampment. The press release was originally posted by Pitt Divest from Apartheid, though SJP did re-post the image. Pitt Divest from Apartheid was also the main organizer behind the protest. The article has been updated to reflect this change. The Pitt News regrets this error.