Police arrested 11 pro-Palestine protesters who occupied and barricaded a University of Minnesota administration building early Monday evening. A Minnesota Daily reporter wearing a press vest was also briefly detained.

University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) entered the building at 5:40 p.m. with “necessary support” from Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, according to a statement from the University. A crowd of protesters also congregated outside the building’s west entrance by Northrop Mall.

A SAFE-U emergency alert at 4:40 p.m. said protesters restricted access to the building and damaged University property, advising those still within Morrill Hall to safely exit the building if possible. A follow-up alert at 9:11 p.m. said UMPD cleared Morrill Hall.

Protesters barricaded the building with metal tables and chairs, bike racks, wooden pallets and locked the doors with bike locks around 4 p.m. after marching from a rally outside Coffman Union. 

Employees were present in the building when the barricades were set up but exited the building after protesters directed them to the unblocked entrance.

University of Minnesota police and Hennepin County officers came through the building’s east entrance at about 5:45 p.m.

Inside the building, door windows were smashed with broken glass on the ground and protesters removed filing cabinets and chairs to build onto the barricades.

Morrill Hall houses University President Rebecca Cunningham’s office and other administrative functions. 

Members of the University’s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter organized the demonstration, protesting the University’s protest policies and investments in Israel and arms companies.

The protesters renamed the building “Halimy Hall,” for a 19-year-old Palestinian TikTok creator Medo Halimy “who died in August in an apparent Israeli airstrike,” the Associated Press reported. 

Sasmit Rahman, a member of SDS present at the demonstration, said the group’s “fight was just” and consequences from the protests are “incomparable compared to the situation in Gaza.” Rahman added the protesters were prepared to stay until their demands were met.

Rahman confirmed 11 protestors are unaccounted for.

Isabel Eguizabal, a member of Young Democratic-Socialists of America (YDSA), said her group chose to not partake in the occupation due to concern over logistics but commends the bravery.

“This will concretely not win divestment,” Eguizabal said. “We need a long and sustained campaign.”

Calvin Phillips, vice president of students affairs, watched protesters from a bench at the rally and later followed the crowd with other administrative staff as they marched to Morrill Hall. Phillips said he was watching the protest.

The University reached an agreement in May with the University of Minnesota Divestment Coalition, consisting of SDS, YDSA and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to disclose its investments in Israel. The University recently committed to sponsor tuition for three Gazan students in the spring semester.

A post on SDS’ Instagram page late last week described the protest as a “No homecoming as usual” march from Coffman Union to McNamara Alumni Center. 

The group changed the protest’s focus to conditions in Northern Gaza, writing “While Northern Gaza burns, (University) administration is worried about chalk and megaphones.” 

Before fall semester, the University consolidated its guidelines for protests, including limiting participation to 100 people and allowing no more than one bullhorn.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.