The new president of the University of Minnesota was sworn in on campus inside Northrup Auditorium. But outside, a student protest demanded that new president Rebecca Cunningham force the University to divest in Israel, something the school has refused to do.
Students walked out of class at the University of Minnesota to take part in the pro-Palestinian protest outside Northup Auditorium.
Freya Wolf is a sophomore studying political science and was one of the speakers.
"Until this university is not actively supporting the ruthless murder of thousands of Palestinians, until they finally begin to clean their hands of the blood of over 41,000 people," says Wolf. "We have not, and we will never, give up."
Wolf says Cunningham backed the decision by the Board of Regents not to divest from Israel back in August, claiming neutrality for the school.
"Now we all know neutrality is a myth, a myth that keeps them comfortable and a myth that keeps them silent," she says. "Silence is not and never has been neutral and investing thousands of dollars into Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers that makes the bombs that kill Palestinians, and destroy their hospitals, mosques, universities and homes, certainly isn't neutral either."
Cunningham clarified the Board of Regents' decision in August not to divest the University's holdings in Israeli interests, saying the board has decided University endowments should not be used to make political statements.
She also says there has been some misinformation regarding the University's rules on student protests and encampments. Student protests supporting Palestinians also broke out on campus in April.
"It is not a new policy that the University doesn't allow tents on campus," says Cunningham. "Those are the existing policies of the University of Minnesota. No changes in those policies were made."
Cunningham's presidency began on July 1 and she replaced interim President Jeff Ettinger.