University of Minnesota faculty are frustrated with how administration handled the Morrill Hall occupation on Oct. 21. 

President Rebecca Cunningham condemned the occupation at the University Senate meeting Oct. 25. She said the events were disruptive and harmful. 

Some members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and others occupied Morrill Hall to protest the University’s “neutrality” policy for divestment from Israel. Protesters barricaded entrances, spray-painted security cameras and broke interior windows. 

University professor William Jones said he feels the administrative response may have been too harsh.

“The way in which the administration seems to be responding to protests with a heavy hand, I think that has the potential to create danger for everybody involved,” Jones said. “If you overreact, I think there’s the potential for heightening the danger.”

English professor V.V. Ganeshananthan said the students involved in the protest were mistreated.

“Students who protest are still our students,” Ganeshananthan said. “If we’re talking about security, it’s interesting whose security counts and whose doesn’t, because I think it is the administration’s responsibility to protect students, including students who are participating in protests.”

Several members of the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication school were unhappy with the treatment of student journalists during the coverage of Morrill Hall. Even so, Hubbard’s Director Elisia Cohen said that communication with the University police department and administrators was essential in helping smooth the process for all involved parties.

The confusion of officers during the occupation led to the detainment of Minnesota Daily reporter Tyler Church and other difficulties for student journalists who were covering the protest. 

Cohen said the school would be happy to work with officers to ensure they are better equipped to handle journalist interactions. 

“The journalism school, and specifically the Center for the Study of Media Law and Ethics, would be happy to be a support for any training,” Cohen said. 

Ganeshananthan and Jones said the University should be careful in their response to campus protests so students’ civil liberties are not violated.

“I don’t think anybody is saying that the University shouldn’t have responded,” Jones said. “But the way in which you respond, especially in a situation like this, has to be conducted very carefully in ways that don’t violate civil liberties and don’t escalate.”

There were University and Minnesota police officers and Minnesota State troopers at the Morrill Hall occupation.

Ganeshananthan said the amount of security was alarming. 

“An administration that is secure in its relationships with members of the campus community doesn’t need to respond like this,” Ganeshananthan said. “The first reaction to protests should not be punitive, it should be to think about the students.”

University professor Nathaniel Mills said he was disappointed with the way protestors were described and how the administration released information about the situation. 

 “The administration’s narrative of what happened doesn’t seem to accord very neatly with evidence that SDS has provided,” Mills said. “In her statement, Cunningham’s framing of the issue did not match what SDS said had happened. We have videos of faculty and staff in Morrill Hall leaving.”

Ganeshananthan said there is a long tradition of Morrill Hall occupations, citing the 1969 occupation. 

“Protest is going to produce some measure of discomfort,” Ganeshananthan said. “That’s kind of the point.”

Cohen said the most important part is everyone is kept safe, even in chaotic situations like the occupation.

This is not the first time the school and its students have seen major protests on campus. Calling back to times of civil unrest during the Geoge Floyd protests, Cohen said she has seen journalists and police officers have conflict before, but she does not want that to change the school’s relationship with University police officers. 

“I rely, and others at this school rely, on the UMPD to show up at the school when we have a safety incident,” Cohen said. “So I want them to be well-trained, and I want them to feel supported and have a trusting relationship.”

Cohen said that is important for both the University and the journalists that study here. She said she believes University police officers are here for the students.

“I have no reason to believe that they don’t care about the same issues,” Cohen said. “The reason why most of the officers choose to work at the University of Minnesota, compared to anywhere else in the state — and I’m sure there’s plenty of good jobs — is that I think they probably do like being on campus, working with young people.”

Jones said the administration needs to communicate better to members of its community and the public.

“I would hope that the administration would take seriously the concerns about escalation and militarization, and the chilling effect of their policies, to be able to respond to protests without making the situation worse,” Jones said. “And I think that’s the hope.”