University of Minnesota activists have meltdown over being fined after vandalizing building in anti-Israel protest
‘As punishment, the administration has decided that all 7 students must pay over $5,500 each in restitution and will be suspended starting January 1st,’ SDS wrote.
The charges come after a disruptive protest and takeover of a campus building on Oct. 21.
Several students from the University of Minnesota are reportedly being disciplined after forcefully taking over a campus building during an anti-Israel riot, and will allegedly be made to pay thousands of dollars for their infractions.
The students in question overran and occupied Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota campus on Oct. 21 and even forcibly prevented school employees from exiting, according to The Algemeiner.
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The students vandalized the building before being detained by police officers.
Now, according to the University of Minnesota’s chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a radical student group, those who participated in the riot are facing disciplinary measures.
“7 out of the 8 students were found guilty on all charges,” SDS wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “As punishment, the administration has decided that all 7 students must pay over $5,500 each in restitution and will be suspended starting January 1st.”
“One student is being suspended for 5 semesters (equivalent to 2.5 years), three for 3 semesters (equivalent to 1.5 years), two for 2 semesters, and one for 1 semester . . . the University intends to withhold the transcripts of those arrested. This means for the duration of the suspension the students are unable to transfer to a different institution without forfeiting the credits they have rightfully earned and paid for,” the post continued.
SDS also alleged that students who want to be readmitted will need to “do 20 hours of community service and write a 5-10 page essay about the ‘difference between vandalism and protest.’”
The post concluded by urging readers to call university and local government leaders to call on them to drop the charges.
A University of Minnesota spokesperson pointed Campus Reform to a letter sent by school president Rebecca Cunningham the day after the Oct. 21 protest that read: “We have seen many peaceful protests this fall. However, what happened in Morrill Hall yesterday was not a form of legitimate protest. Threatening behavior and destruction of property have absolutely no place within our community. These actions endanger safety, erode the fabric of our University community, and undermine the legitimacy of important causes that our students, faculty and staff care so deeply about.”
”These actions crossed the line into illegal activity when they actively threatened the emotional and physical safety of our employees, prevented their free movement, disrupted building operations and destroyed campus property. The safety, security and wellbeing of our staff, students and faculty are our highest priority, and we cannot — and will not — allow this type of behavior,” the letter continued.
According to some estimates, more than 3,000 activists were arrested in 2024 due to the epidemic of tent encampment demonstrations that took place all over America’s university campuses to protest the Jewish state. The encampments were frequently marked by violence, breaches of university regulations, anti-Semitic incidents, and clashes with law enforcement.
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Minnesota for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
