At 9:30 a.m. on April 29, a group of Case Western Reserve University students set up camp in KSL Oval to protest the university’s investments in Israel and show solidarity with the Palestinian people. This encampment was announced on CWRU’s Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) Instagram page for 9:30 a.m. and follows a movement occurring in universities across the nation, such as the University of Southern California, Emory University, Columbia University and many others.
Besides the protesters, present at the encampment of KSL Oval were the CWRU and University Circle Police Departments, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Peter Whiting and legal observers from the Ohio National Lawyers Guild. Many organizations in the Cleveland community such as the Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Ohio (CAIR-Ohio) and Food Not Bombs Lake County and East Side CLE also provided support to the protesters.
A little after 10 a.m., CWRU and University Circle police officers began detaining protesters with zip ties and breaking down their tents. According to a university spokesperson, “About 20 protestors were detained and released—not arrested and not charged with a crime. At this time, I’m not sure how many were students.”
At 11:15 a.m., President Eric Kaler released a statement through email acknowledging the protest and reiterating university policy for such demonstrations.
“We are seeing this in action right now, as individuals in support of Palestinian liberation are protesting on the Kelvin Smith Library oval. We support these individuals’ rights to free speech, and Case Western Reserve police will protect their right to peaceful freedom of expression in accordance with our policies,” he said.
According to a poster at the camp as well as a post on CWRU SJP’s Instagram, the encampment organizers’ plan is to hold an anti-Zionist reading at 3 p.m., a poetry reading and writing session at 5:30 p.m and finally a meditation session at 7 p.m.
In his email, Kaler stated that “Protests will be permitted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.
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Live Updates May 9th:
10 p.m. – The sit-in at Adelbert Hall ends as protesters and student leaders leave the front and rear doors, adding stuffed animals to the base of the building on the Adelbert Road side.
8:40 p.m. – As the 24-hour mark for the sit-in passes, protesters continue packing up the encampment as the counter-protesters taunt them.
7:20 p.m. – As the 24 hour mark approaches, a small group of protesters remain outside the front and back entrances to Adelbert despite the rain.
7 p.m. – Protesters begin packing up the encampment at KSL Oval, with many of the protesters going home. The sit-in at Adelbert continues.
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Review of Day Ten of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 8th):
The main activities of day 10 started in the evening with a large rally in the Fine Arts Garden at the Cleveland Museum of Art that moved to KSL Oval and Adelbert Hall, taking up the entirety of Euclid Avenue on their parade. Once at Adelbert Hall, the organizers suddenly announced a sit-in of Adelbert Hall for 24 hours, where students were invited to sit in front of the front and rear entrances of Adelbert Hall. They also announced plans to protest at commencement. Their goal is to encourage President Kaler and his administration to resume negotiations. The protesters remarked that when they were setting upp, CWRU police officers escorted out Chief of Staff Brancato and three janitorial staff as other protesters began sticking posters on the front door and stairwell of the building.
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Live Updates May 8th:
6:46 p.m. – Protesters put up posters on Adelbert Hall and on the main door of Adelbert Hall.
6:45 p.m. – The protesters make their way up the Binary Walkway.
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Review of Day Nine of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 7th):
While day nine was relatively uneventful in terms of activities, it was a day that will live for a long time in the collective memory of CWRU. Around 4 p.m., SJP posted a video on their Instagram showing contractors from day eight painting protesters who were standing in the way of the Spirit Wall at 5 a.m. This revelation led to immediate outrage, with President Kaler later apologizing in an email. Kaler said that he was disgusted by what he saw and promised to hold the responsible people accountable, including the CWRU police officers who were present. Before this incident, protesters threw all of the steel barriers into a pile in front of KSL Oval.
Prior to the apology, President Kaler sent an email addressing the Advocacy Wall painting from the day before and condemned the “language [that] the university administration and many members of our community view as threatening, intimidating and antisemitic.” He called the language on the Spirit Wall “less threatening but still intimidating to some in our community.” He reiterated that those who painted the walls and remain in the encampment are breaking university policy, and he urged the protesters to “remove the encampment and begin the student conduct process.”
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Live Updates May 7th:
10:45 p.m. – A message was written on the Spirit Wall, stating “They call for intifada—so we call them terrorists.”
11:15 a.m. – CWRU installs new “No Encampment” yard signs on KSL Oval, which protesters mess with.
8 a.m. – Only the top eighth of the wall was painted over.
5 a.m. – SJP releases another video showing protesters blocking the Spirit Wall from contractors who were painting over it. Nevertheless, once the contractors got to the wall, they proceeded to paint the protesters.
1 a.m. – Protesters pile up all of the remaining steel barricades that were assembled during day one onto the front lawn of KSL.
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Review of Day Eight of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 6th):
On the eighth day of the encampment, controversy regarding the Advocacy and Spirit Walls and the input of student voices dominated discourse among protesters and the general student body.
As the day started, President Kaler sent an email after consulting with undergraduate student leaders: “I wanted to provide additional context that may help explain the ongoing encampment and the university’s response.” He reiterated that “We will not engage in discussion on the demands made until the encampment ends and protesters have completed any relevant conduct processes.”
Midway through the afternoon, a group of protesters painted the Advocacy Wall at Eldred Hall, writing, “You can’t hide” in a style resembling dripping blood along with “Student Led Infitada.”
Upon seeing the Advocacy Wall, one student said to The Observer, “This feels like a direct attack on the Jewish community,” noting that the timing of the first statement comes during Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. “And to be told we can’t hide along with [mentioning the] Intifada … that’s chilling,” they said.
The Advocacy Wall was quickly covered in tarp, which at least one individual tore down until it got painted over in white. On this day as well, the Bellflower side of Thwing was reopened.
In the evening, USG President Basil Yaseen sent a follow-up email. He wrote that student leaders provided feedback on a draft that “included paragraphs that detailed specifics about difficulties with divestment, the response to USG resolution 31-15, and more sympathy towards Palestinians. None of this was found in the final email sent this morning.”
Day eight ended with the main encampment painting over the Spirit Wall outside Thwing and Tink. According to a post made by the SJP Instagram page, which the Observer has independently verified, CWRU sent contractors to paint over the wall; only a part of the wall was painted over once the morning started.
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Live Updates May 6th:
11 p.m. – SJP posts a video to their Instagram page showing an exchange between contractors and students where the contractors say they were called in to paint over the wall.
8:03 p.m. – USG President Basil Yaseen sends an email out to the student body addressing Kaler’s email from earlier today. He claims that he and other student leaders from UDC and UMB provided comments on a draft statement “that detailed specifics about difficulties with divestment, the response to USG resolution 31-15, and more sympathy towards Palestinians. None of this was found in the final email sent this morning.” He ends the email by calling for more dialogue between student protesters and the CWRU administration.
7:15 p.m. – The Advocacy Wall is painted over white.
6:05 p.m. – A masked individual rips the blue tarp off of the Advocacy Wall.
5:15 p.m. – Parts of the Advocacy Wall are covered over with a blue tarp attached with tape.
3:45 p.m. – Protesters paint the Advocacy Wall alongside Eldred Hall.
8 a.m. – Hitchcock Hall reopens for students after having been closed since the start of the encampment to house administrators and police officers.
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Review of Day Seven of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 5th):
Much like day five, the one-week mark for the encampment was relatively uneventful. Having grown into its new space from yesterday, many individuals used their new space to play a game of impromptu soccer or do salsa lessons as a part of a “Latin night” run by the organizers. This later caused a mild controversy, resulting in an apology being issued from SJP’s Instagram page.
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Live Updates May 5th:
8:20 p.m. – Salsa dance lessons begin in the center of KSL Oval.
7 p.m. – A minor altercation occurred where the protestors claim that one of the counter-protesters was harassing a child protesters and had to rally behind the child. The counter-protesters, however, claim that the protesters stole one of their signs. Either way, this resulted in one of the counter-protesters trying to tear down the banner in front of Euclid lawn.
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Review of Day Six of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 4th):
The encampment invited former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner for a teach-in. There she declared that the currents series of protests occurring on college campus’ are the next great revolution
Once Turner was done speaking, protesters rallied out for the day’s first escalation. They marched into Tink and hung a Palestinian flag right next to the Ukrainian Flag over the Kelvin Smith Atrium. Protesters then marched out of Tink and on their way back to KSL Oval went via the Fine Arts Garden, which is operated by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a high school prom photoshoot was taking place.
At 8 p.m. the encampment ended the day with a rally, which marked another escalation. Here protesters expanded their encampment to the grass patch between KSL Oval and Euclid, proceeding to march down Euclid, Adelbert Road and into the campus of University Hospitals. They ended this march by stopping outside the Peter B. Lewis Building before returning to KSL Oval. Through this movement, there was minimal, if any, presence from CWRU PD, with one car trailing protesters as they moved around University Circle.
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Live Updates May 4th:
9:41 p.m. – Protesters’ programming concludes for tonight
9:35 p.m. – Protesters return to the encampment at KSL Oval.
9:30 p.m. – The Protestors turn onto East Boulevard and up the walkway of Tinkham Veale University Center.
9:29 p.m. – A police car follows the protestors down Belflower Rd.
9:26 p.m. – Protestors march onto Belflower Rd. while chanting “It’s not complicated. Palestine will be liberated.”
9:20 p.m. – The march reaches Uptown and crosses onto Ford Drive outside PBL.
9:17 p.m. – March briefly begins to proceed up UH Drive before diverting to travel along Euclid.
9:15 p.m. – The march reaches UH Drive before stopping at the Euclid intersection.
9:14 p.m. – Protesters reach the sidewalk.
9:12 p.m. – Protesters turn onto the ambulance entrance of University Hospitals.
9:11 p.m. – Protesters move down Euclid and cross the street, turning left up Adelbert Road.
9:09 p.m. – Protesters begin marching.
9 p.m. – Some protesters move tents to the front lawn closer to Euclid.
8:55 p.m. – Protesters hang a banner between two trees facing Euclid saying, “Clevelanders: Boycott Israel and Affiliates.” They declare that they are now calling the area “Gaza Plaza.” An organizer says, “This is all for you. This is all for Gaza. This is all for Palestine.”
8:52 p.m. – An organizer begins a speech. Protesters move to the lawn. Police are not present.
8:49 p.m. – Circle starts.
8:38 p.m. – Protesters play with kites in the grass just outside the walkway.
4:42 p.m. – Protesters start a kite-flying activity.
4:37 p.m. – Protesters make their way back to KSL Oval.
4:30 p.m. – Protesters make their way to the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a high school prom is being held.
4:20 p.m. – Protesters march through Tink.
3:30 p.m. – Nina Turner does a teach-in at the encampment.
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Review of Day Five of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 3rd):
Besides an email sent at 5:06 p.m. by Kaler announcing that Adelbert Gymnasium would open as a student studying space to compensate for the early closures of Thwing and Tink as well as acknowledging the accessibility concerns around KSL Oval, day five was relatively uneventful. Police and administration presence had significantly decreased compared to past days and most notably Whiting was absent. The encampment hosted a local band called “Barricade Baby” who performed at 8 p.m.
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Live Updates May 3rd:
6:55 p.m. – Counter-protesters move closer toward KSL Oval from Euclid.
6:45 p.m. – Two counter-protesters arrive and play music on a speaker. Encampment protesters remain unbothered. There is no police presence.
5:08 p.m. – Kaler announces via email that Adelbert Gymnasium is now a study space.
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Review of Day Four of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 2nd):
Day four at the KSL Oval encampment started out with an early panic over an anonymous tip that a S.W.A.T. team was going to come to CWRU. Though the tip proved to be false, it created an atmosphere of tension and unease.
Later in the day, organizers renamed KSL Oval to Hind Oval—following the suit of Columbia’s occupation of Hamilton Hall which was renamed Hind Hall after Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
At 4:43 p.m., Kaler sent out a mass communication via email where he declared “the protest on the KSL Oval is no longer approved.” As such, he said those engaging with the protester could be subject to the conduct process and/or incur criminal charges for trespass.
Kaler’s email brought tension to CWRU after the recent news that the University of California, Los Angeles’s administration had mobilized the Los Angeles Police Department to sweep their encampment last night and earlier this morning. Many news sources have reported they had used excessive force towards students, faculty and media alike.
Around 6 p.m., protesters began forming a large drumming circle facing Euclid Avenue. Then a student leader led a group of protesters around KSL Oval, crossing onto the Binary Walkaway to get to Adelbert Hall. After a few minutes of chanting, they taped SJP’s demands onto the front door, before walking back around Severance Hall.
Once the protesters returned to KSL Oval, they moved the metal barricades outwards, so as to take over all of the walkways surrounding KSL Oval. Counter-protestors were seen with Israeli flags and posters around the encampment, as the police and administration present watched from the sidelines.
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Live Updates May 2nd:
8:48 p.m. – Protesters begin the Maghrib prayer.
8:40 p.m. – Protesters begin the adhan call to prayer.
8:27 p.m. – A vocal protester packs up his posters with help from the owner of Algebra Tea House before leaving.
8:15 p.m. – Police remove barriers that were in front of the counter-protesters.
8:08 p.m. – Protesters begin singing.
8:02 p.m. – A counter-protester goes inside the circle. Protesters follow while chanting. Whiting arrives.
8:00 p.m. – Protesters quiet down.
7:57 p.m. – Protesters move toward the center of KSL Oval.
7:55 p.m. – Protesters start shouting, “Shut it down!”
7:51 p.m. – CWRU police continue to watch from the sidelines.
7:52 p.m. – Protesters move the canopies and supplies covering the walkway.
7:50 p.m. – They move to the front of KSL Oval facing Euclid, bringing their two signs to the front.
7:49 p.m. – Protesters line up in front of metal barricades and move them to the outer walkway in front of KSL.
7:38 p.m. – The protesters reach their encampment. They begin marching around KSL Oval, chanting, “free, free Palestine.”
7:35 p.m. The police car follows closely behind protestors on Adelbert, moderating traffic for the protesters. Some counter-protesters leave.
7:33 p.m. – Protesters take a long route around Severance Hall, chanting, “We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest.” A police car is present on Adelbert Road.
7:31 p.m. – The protesters begin walking back to their encampment. They chant, “Whose streets? Our streets!”
7:26 p.m. – A student organizer on Adelbert says, “Due to the negligence of the administration, we come to disrupt the main administrative building.” He lists the demands that the protesters have. Whiting is present.
7:25 p.m. – Protesters shout, “shut it down.”
7:23 p.m. – Protesters chant, “free, free Palestine” around Adelbert. Brancato is present.
7:22 p.m. – Protesters stop at Adelbert Hall. Some tape posters to the bottom of the building. Two cops follow behind.
7:20 p.m. – Protesters cross Euclid and Adelbert. They begin walking down the Binary Walkway all while chanting.
7:14 p.m. – CWRU students begin rallying around KSL Oval. Legal observers are present.
7:12 p.m. – Protesters rally into a tight group.
6:20 p.m. – Barriers are erected in front of counter-protesters.
6:10 p.m. – Some protesters start a drum circle with chanting as a media helicopter circles overhead
5:50 p.m. – Counter-protesters gather just outside of KSL Oval.
5:30 p.m. – “Free, free Palestine” chant starts before an announcement. An organizer says, “We are not respecting this condescending attitude and, we are here until those demands are met.”
4:46 p.m. – Kaler releases an email saying that “the protest on the KSL Oval is no longer approved,” claiming that “the protesters broke the temporary revised guidelines” and “disrupted university operations and access to university spaces such that some students, faculty and staff feel threatened.” Kaler says that anyone in the community breaking such policies “will be held accountable through the respective conduct process,” including possible prosecution for criminal trespass. The university will not engage with the protesters’ demands until they leave KSL Oval and finish the conduct process. All buildings will only be available through card access starting at 6 p.m., Tink and Thwing will have limited hours, and more quiet study spaces will be available in other buildings.
2:55 p.m. – Yard signs in CWRU Blue with the CWRU logo go up on the pathways leading to KSL Oval that contain the phrases “No Trespassing” and “Private Property.” Whiting is back on the scene with staff from the President’s Office.
11:30 – SJP announces via Instagram that the S.W.A.T call was a false alarm.
10:45 a.m. – SJP announced on their Instagram page that they have received a tip of a possible S.W.A.T. police force heading to CWRU. The Observer is unable to confirm the validity or truthfulness of this claim. In response, protesters in KSL Oval have gathered in the center of their encampment to go over their “formation.” Today marks the fourth day of the encampment and the first day of finals for CWRU students.
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Review of Day Three of the KSL Oval Encampment (May 1st):
At the turn of the first of the month, the encampment on KSL Oval remained, though this time community members stayed overnight.
Yesterday, the encampment had a whole day of peaceful programming, including Yoga, talks from various speakers and an evening Sedar. The evening ended with a rally, before the remaining protesters gathered into small “breakout groups”, where organizers informed them of the next steps.
This next step was the creation of a human chain around KSL Oval. At roughly 8 p.m., protesters began moving the steel barricades into a smaller circle around KSL Oval. Behind the barricades, protesters linked arms forming a circular human chain, shouting various chants. Those not on the Oval were either watching from afar or making laps around the Oval.
At 8:50, encampment leaders held a press conference, laying out their agenda. “Either you [CWRU’s administration] let our community members stay overnight with us, they have been showing us support and camaraderie this entire time, or you meet our demands four and five, and they have failed to comply and meet us at the table. “
Demands four and five call on the University to demand a permanent ceasefire and end of the occupation of Palestine, and retract all remarks calling resolution 31-15 anti semitic or that the current protesters were inducing hate speech.
Around this time, many protesters began to erect tents in KSL Oval, preparing for the evening ahead.
As the evening continued on, the protesters began to relax out of formation. Yet at 9:23 pm, when a few CWRU Police Officers walked past KSL Oval, one the organizers shouted “Formation”, resulting in protesters re-forming the human chain and beginning their chants. This was called off a few minutes later.
CWRU Police, nor other police agencies, did not make any moves on the encampment, and so CWRU and other community members stayed the night at KSL Oval. In response, Thwing Center, where Thwing Study Over just finished, and Tinkham Veale University Center were locked, preventing any students or staff from using their keycard in the building. Kelvin Smith Library, remained open with a heavier police presence.
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Live Updates May 1st:
10:30 p.m. – To enter Thwing, students must be let in by police officers who are standing in front of the entrance near KSL Oval and are required to display student or official ID. Protesters project a message onto the facade of KSL that reads, “Not 1 More F’N Bomb for Israel.”
8:58 p.m. – The movie “Gaza Fights for Freedom” begins.
8:51 p.m. – Some protesters sing a poem.
8:35 p.m. – Protesters begin the Maghrib prayer.
8:25 p.m. – Brancato leaves.
8:23 p.m. – Student protest leaders begin to setup for a movie night, encouraging all who want to stay overnight to gather supplies.
8:04 p.m. – That vocal counter protester walks away from KSL Oval.
8:03 p.m. – A vocal counter protester talks with police.
7:49 p.m. – A student organizer announces that they will no longer negotiate with any administrator except President Kaler.
7:40pm — protesters get a legal briefing on their rights and responsibilities when interacting with the police, media, and counter protesters.
6 p.m. – The protesters begin their dinner service, with counter-protesters in the background looking on. Additionally, police presence has increased, and a ramp has been added to help protestors get into KSL Oval.
1:45 pm – There is minimal administration and police presence at KSL Oval. Protesters have established a waste sorting system inside the encampment. The tents are still up from last night.
11:35 a.m. – The Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative, the student umbrella organization that oversees most of the diversity related clubs at CWRU, sent an email to students on their mailing list. In addition to providing legal resources, they note “The response from the administration to peaceful protestors was severely inappropriate. We are appalled by the negative impact that the administration has imposed onto students during this time. This should not, and cannot happen again.” UDC ends their email by demanding “an apology from the CWRU administration at the very least.”
9:00 am – Tinkham Veale University Center and Thwing Center resume normal operations, all students can get in by using their CaseOneID cards.
7:45 am – Protesters are slowly awakening, and eating breakfast supplied on tables in KSL Oval. The atmosphere this morning, compared to yesterday, is discernibly more quiet and calm. Peter Whiting is not present.
Day Three of the KSL Oval Encampment starts with no arrests.
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Live Update (4/30/24 started at 1:30 p.m.)
10 p.m. – Protesters have settled down in KSL Oval with plans to stay overnight, including CWRU and community members. Thwing and Tink are closed and locked to students and staff, with keycard access revoked. Live updates will continue tomorrow.|
9:50 p.m. – Protesters shout, “All clear.”
9:49 p.m. – Formation begins again. Music stops.
9:35 p.m. – Protesters begin dabke dance.
9:31 p.m. – Chanting stops, and protesters take a break. Music plays on a loudspeaker.
9:28 p.m. – A police car parks in front of Thwing out of view of protesters.
9:25 p.m. – Security car returns.
9:23 p.m. – Organizers call formation, and protesters link up around tents. Organizer tells The Observer that everything is now unplanned as administration did not comply with their demands. Chants resume.
9:12 p.m. – Organizers thank protesters. Police watch from afar.
9:05 p.m. – Protesters put up tents in KSL Oval.
8:54 p.m. – Protesters pray in KSL Oval.
8:50 p.m. – Protesters quiet down. Two student organizers do interviews with the media.
8:47 p.m. – Protesters march around KSL Oval.
8:40 p.m. – Protesters rejoin hands in the center of KSL Oval.
8:37 p.m. – Protesters move the barrier to the outer edge of KSL Oval.
8:30 p.m. – Protesters continue to occupy KSL Oval and start chanting, “Shut it down!” The police seem unbothered.
8:23 p.m. – Whiting talks with police near Thwing.
8:20 p.m. – Police presence increases around KSL, Thwing and Tink.
8:17 p.m. – Whiting and Brancato move toward Severance Hall as protesters begin chanting.
8:15 p.m. – A protester carries a sign that reads, “Peter the Puppet.”
8:12 p.m. – Whiting comes out with Katie Brancato, the chief of staff to President Kaler.
8:05 p.m. – Multiple circles of protesters on KSL Oval chant, calling out the administration. Whiting and other administrators remain inside.
8 p.m. – Participants also chant from the sidelines while the CWRU police officers are in Hitchcock Hall.
7:57 p.m. – The protesters remove barriers and link arms in the center of KSL Oval, placing the barriers in front of them. Participants chant from the sidelines while the cops are in Hitchcock.
7:50 p.m. – Whiting and the rest of the administration gather in Hitchcock Hall with the police.
7:42 p.m. – Breakout sessions form on different areas of KSL Oval.
7:37 p.m. – A CWRU student leads a chant, and energy rises on KSL Oval.
7:25 p.m. – A member from the Cleveland chapter of Party for Socialism and Liberation makes a speech encouraging the protesters and mentions Brown University’s recent news of holding a vote to divest.
7 p.m. – Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace along with some CWRU Jewish students led a mini Seder, which included a prayer song and a twist to connect to a larger message of peace, particularly in Gaza.
10:55 a.m. – The Executive Board of the Undergraduate Student Government sent an email to the CWRU student body, reaffirming that they “stand united in our disappointment with the actions taken by the administration”. They call on CWRU to ensure that “the provocative actions of CWRU PD will never be authorized by the university again”.
8:20 a.m. – Seven additional police officers and the assistant director of emergency management arrive on scene. The officers open up the barricade so community members can join the protesters in KSL Oval.
8:15 a.m. – Protesters converse with the legal observers from the Ohio National Lawyers Guild as well as other community members. All tents have come down at this point.
7:30 a.m. – Protesters slowly begin waking up and taking down the tents. As 8 a.m. approaches, Whiting tells the students “the tents need to come down.”
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Live Update (4/29/24 started at 7:13 p.m.)
10 p.m. – Protesters are preparing for inclement weather. An organizer commented, “We’re rainproofing as much as we can. We have tarps and stuff to put overhead for students, and all of our supplies and stuff are usually under waterproof stuff.” The protesters noted that they are expected by the university to remove their tents by 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning.
9 p.m. – CWRU community protesters pitched tents on KSL Oval, while taking down some of their signs as the winds started to pick up. Many protesters were still outside, on devices doing their homework.
8 p.m. – Administration announced they would be letting current CWRU students, faculty and staff continue the encampment past 8 p.m. They received wristbands after showing their ID permitting them to stay in KSL Oval overnight—These bracelets were issued by staff from the Division of Student Affairs. Around 7:45 p.m., organizers led a final chant, one led by former Ohio State Senator and Congressional Candidate Nina Turner, before Cleveland community members were asked to leave the premises at 8 p.m. While CWRU Community members were getting their bracelets, CWRU PD completed the steel barricade, and set up a single entrance point to KSL Oval.
7 p.m. – Undergraduate Student Government President Basil Yaseen sent out an email to the student body stating that “This is not how the CWRU administration should treat student protestors” regarding the detentions from the morning. He ends an email with a call: “I urge you all to stand firmly and proudly alongside me in support of students’ rights to protest, no matter the issue.” Previously he spoke to The Observer and said “I think what the administration is doing is ridiculous. I think you should be allowed to protest for as long as you want. Threatening a mass arrest of potentially 100, 200 people is insane.”
6 p.m. – Protesters continue to grow in number as more CWRU students and community members join in the movement. Nearing dusk, some protesters attempted to sneak tents into the encampment, which were quickly confiscated by police officers.
5 p.m. – After tents were taken down by police earlier this morning, protesters sought shelter under umbrellas. Especially as the temperatures persist in the high seventies to eighties, and KSL Oval remains devoid of shade, protesters are forced to create more sustainable conditions for themselves. At 5:30 p.m., the poetry reading was led by student leaders and other volunteers, and followed by a short poetry writing session. During this time, food was offered to protesters.