President Rebecca Cunningham’s inauguration on Wednesday started as a success. There are 2,695 seats in Northrop Auditorium according to Andria Waclawski, and over two-thirds of them were filled with members of staff and the local community excited to see the ceremony. 

A host of speakers — from former President of the University of Michigan Mary Sue Coleman to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan — commended President Cunningham on her work and celebrated her new position. Debra Houry, Deputy Director for Program and Science at the CDC, commended Cunningham’s excellence in leadership roles and expressed her hope for the future of the University of Minnesota with Cunningham at the helm.

“I have no doubt that Doctor Cunningham will be a strong and empathetic leader in times of crisis, as well as a strategic, decisive, no-drama leader,” Houry said in her speech. “Doctor Cunningham is a true triple threat, although I’d prefer the term rockstar.”

The no-drama label for Cunningham lasted mere minutes. Cunningham’s speech became muffled by protester’s calls for the divestment of the University’s funds from Israel.

“Disclose, divest! We will not stop, we will not rest!” the crowd chanted. “Free Free Palestine! Free Free Palestine!”

The chants lasted for minutes as the presenters attempted to quell the crowd from the disorder. The pleas for order turned to warnings as a spokesperson threatened legal action and academic expulsion for the protestors.

It took over four minutes for the protestors to exit the auditorium, but in that time their message had been made clear to the crowd and Cunningham. Even as she finished her speech, she was met with a mix of applause and jeers from the crowd. 

After her speech, Cunningham’s troubles were not over. Hundreds of students and activists awaited Cunningham and her address to the public on Northrop Mall.

The chants of “Free Free Palestine” marked the inauguration of the University’s 18th President Rebecca Cunningham. 

Protesters affiliated with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), UMN Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and other groups gathered outside of Northrop where Cunningham’s inauguration was held. Pro-Palestinian protesters inside Northrop were the ones who disrupted the inauguration.

This was the third protest held at the University since the newly consolidated protest policies were released Aug. 27. Protesters and speakers from the University community and greater Minnesota repeated their almost year-long call for administration to divest from Israel, despite the Board of Regents’ policy of “institutional neutrality” regarding their endowment fund.

Fae Hodges, a student organizer for the UMN Divest Coalition and SDS, said there were at least 200 people present at Wednesday’s protest, which violates protest policies requiring a permit for more than 100 people at a protest. 

Protesters were not following University policies, Hodges said, including the 14” by 22” guidelines for signs and having less than one sound amplification device. 

Hodges said when they adopted “institutional neutrality” and released restrictive protest policies, the administration made their stance that the University community does not have a right to call for divestment clear. 

“We are here to say that we would like the University of Minnesota to divest from genocide,” Hodges said. “We believe our tuition dollars and our endowment fund shouldn’t be used to manufacture bombs or weapons that are dropped on the people of Palestine.” 

Hodges said they have met at least six times with Cunningham since July 1. Despite these biweekly meetings, Hodges said there has been backpedaling, stalling, blocking and breaking of promises the administration made in spring 2024. 

“It just really reflects on the character of our new president and the sort of values that she’s bringing into the University,” Hodges said. “She doesn’t center the voices of students and doesn’t intend to keep promises the University has made.” 

Hodges said administration agreed to full disclosure and transparency of the University’s investments, establish partnerships with Palestinian universities and admit displaced Palestinian students and divest from Israeli companies. 

“Not only have they not fulfilled the promise, they have actively worked against protecting our ability to ask for divestment,” Hodges said. 

Natalie Rath, a member of SDS and one of the organizers of the protest, said protesters are prepared for police involvement. She said if protesters received a dispersal warning or were threatened with arrest or other disciplinary action, they would not leave. 

“We’re not going to let them enforce these policies on us, because if we do that we are policing ourselves,” Rath said. 

Rath said they are giving students the opportunity to mobilize and speak up about important issues like the genocide in Gaza and divestment from Israel. 

“It’s a genocide and it’s honestly as simple as that,” Rath said. 

Hodges said the protest would last well into the Northrop Mall celebration. 

Vendors from Skywalk were unable to comment on the protest or set-up for the Northrop Mall Celebration at 4:30 p.m. 

Cunningham hosted a discussion panel at 11 a.m. with academic and government leaders with expertise in health before her official inauguration. Topics ranged from human to animal to economic health, and panelists included former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health Jan Malcolm, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Dean Brian Buhr and Humphrey School of Public Affairs Dean Nisha Botchwey.

“We’ll see how the University chooses to respond,” Hodges said. “I think that their response to a public event during one of their biggest public events of the year will set the tone.” 

Outside Northrop, faculty wore black t-shirts with white print reading “Respect the ‘no-confidence’ vote” in response to Cunningham’s appointment of Provost Rachel Croson to hand-select a faculty-led committee to review academic freedom and hiring policing despite her violation of them. 

Signs read “divest MN from apartheid Israel,” “restricting protest is union busting,” and “no more weapons to Israel among others,” while protesters waved Palestine’s flag. They shouted “Whose motherfuckin’ campus? Our motherfuckin’ campus!” 

Around 5 p.m., protesters marched around Northrop Hall chanting “Disclose, Divest, We will not stop, We will not rest.” 

Red Tree Singers Drum Group sat outside of Northrop near the protest playing traditional Native American drumming. Cunningham thanked them for their performance, while protesters shouted and booed at her. 

Ismail Elmi, a second-year student who plays tuba in the University marching band, said the band was scheduled to play both during Cunningham’s inauguration and the Northrop Mall celebration. 

The marching band performed the “Rouser” and other songs as scheduled during the inauguration, but canceled the latter because of the protesters, Elmi said. They planned to perform on Northrop’s stairs, but could not. 

“I can’t speak for the band. I can’t speak for anybody else. I know, personally, if there’s a reason to not be playing that’s probably the best reason it could’ve been,” Elmi said. “If we aren’t ones doing it, then who is going to do it for the people in Palestine.”

Mira Altobell-Resendez, staff member at the University Disability Resource Center and AFSCME member, attended the protest in solidarity with students and their requests for divestment. Altobell-Resendez was one of the nine arrested for encampment on the mall in spring 2024. 

As an alumnus, Altobell-Resendez said they still want the same things from the University they did as a student, which is to listen. 

“It’s super frustrating that Rebecca Cunningham, the incoming president, who is being honored today at the inauguration along with the Board of Regent and other members of the high-up administration are really just pushing the voice of their constituents to the side,” Altobell-Resendez said.

Palestine is an issue of police brutality, women, queer and disability rights, Altobell-Resendez said. They said they committed her life to helping people everyday access and better opportunities for people with disabilities. 

The genocide in Gaza is a mass-disabling event, Altobell-Resendez said. 

“You can go online anywhere and you see all these stories and photos and videos of people, especially young people, who are missing limbs and are going to have to deal with chronic pain, chronic illness the rest of their lives,” Altobell-Resendez said. 

Altobell-Resendez said roughly 10 to 15 AFSCME members attended the protest. 

Altobell-Resendez said University staff are not allowed to protest during working hours, and they were off the clock.

“I am just always so glad to be here supporting student organizers and the fight for free Palestine,” Altobell-Resendez said.