An encampment protest at UNC asking the university to cut ties with those who support Israel in the ongoing Gaza war saw a turbulent 24 hours — as the group attempted to maintain its position on campus before police arrested participants and swept the site.
Led by the organization UNC Students for Justice in Palestine, the protest at Polk Place is one of many seen across the United States in recent weeks as people share their solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack and advocacy for a two-state system in the region. The Chapel Hill encampment specifically asks the university to cut any contracts with groups who benefit from “the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” according to UNC SJP’s release on Friday, after negotiation with UNC over recent months has led to little to no change.
By Monday evening — into the fourth day of the encampment — UNC campus police had monitored the demonstration, but not interfered. The group was warned on its first day that any tents set up would violate campus policy of having “temporary structures” in public space without permission, and protestors did put up some tents on Sunday night. While UNC SJP warned on social media the group anticipated immediate university retaliation, that response did not surface on Monday afternoon.
Here are some photos capturing scenes from around the encampment on the Chapel Hill campus Monday afternoon. Click on a photo to enlarge and read the full caption.
The Gaza Solidarity Encampment is at Polk Place on UNC campus, one of the central quads with the administrative building — South Building — on its border.
Students and community members leading the encampment protest would gather other participants together for chants, updates, and for speakers to take the megaphone. Some community members stayed back or on the edges of the demonstration area.
On Sunday night, demonstrators assembled tents as part of the protest. UNC administrators have told the organizers that it violates public space policy, since tents are deemed “temporary structures.” On Monday, organizers said they were prepared for campus police to make arrests and take down tents, but they would keep them up until then.
The largest collection of tents and signs is at the flagpole toward the center of Polk Place. South Buliding is seen in the background.
On the first day of the encampment protest, all demonstrators disassembled their tents in order to comply with university policy. Some remained flat on the ground on Monday, as protestors chose not to break that policy.
While the UNC Students for Justice in Palestine organization has planned programming for each day of the demonstration, much of the day consists of participants leading chants with the crowd using a megaphone, as seen here.
Demonstrators listen and participate in a call-and-response chant asking for UNC to divest from any companies that support Israel.
A student protestor is boosted up the UNC flagpole to duct tape a Palestinian flag on at the center of the encampment.
While most demonstrators have left the site at one point or another, the group is trying to offer as many supplies as possible within the protest zone. A medical table, manned by volunteer medics, stands at the edge of the site.
The encampment is lined with signs people made either at home or at the protest zone, where paint and older signs are available for people to use.
The encampment, however, did not make it past the 96 hour mark. Law enforcement from UNC, other UNC System Schools, the State Highway Patrol and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office descended on Polk Place around 6 a.m., around 20 minutes after the university administration issued a statement telling the demonstrators to disperse. Around 30 protesters were ultimately arrested, according to UNC Media Relations, over their use of temporary structures, trespassing into buildings overnight, and disrupting campus operations.
All those arrested were released by 10 a.m., according to UNC SPJ, with some booked in Hillsborough by the local magistrate’s office.
Below are photos taken from around the encampment early Tuesday morning during the arrests. Click on a photo to enlarge and read the full caption.
The Chapel Hill police start clearing the solidarity encampment early Tuesday morning on April 30, 2024 in Chapel Hill N.C. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
Students form a barrier around the solidarity encampment at 6 in the morning as police officers attempt to clear students away and take the encampment down in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
UNC Police officers drag students away to clear the pathway for the police carts in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The carts contain students who have been arrested for trespassing on campus grounds due to the solidarity encampment. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
A student gets arrested early Tuesday morning on April 30, 2024 in Chapel Hill, N.C. They were arrested due to trespassing on campus grounds, according to police. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
A student gets dragged by the police early Tuesday morning on April 30, 2024 in Chapel Hill, N.C. They were arrested due to trespassing on campus grounds, according to police. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
Police officers stand guard around the solidarity encampment to clear students away early Tuesday morning on April 30, 2024 in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
Officers from the Orange County Sheriff department and Chapel Hill Police block the road as students protest outside of Gerrard Hall in Chapel Hill, N.C. on April 30, 2024. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
Two students hug one another after the student on the right gets released from Gerrard Hall in Chapel Hill, N.C. on April 30, 2024. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
A student activist yells at police officers in riot gear in Chapel Hill, N.C. on April 30, 2024. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
Police officers block the road as students protest outside of Gerrard Hall in Chapel Hill, N.C. on April 30, 2024. (Photo via Jennifer Tran.)
UNC SJP quickly mobilized support after the detainments and called for a rallies on the steps of South Building, just yards away from where the encampment was held. A small group went there early on Tuesday in the wake of the arrests. By the afternoon, hundreds of people joined to sing chants, hear recaps of the morning and criticize the university’s lack of negotiations regarding divesting from any ties with Israel. While the rally remained in one spot for about two hours, the group then moved to the flagpole at the center of Polk Place and replaced the American flag with the Palestine flag — which prompted university police to get involved again. Officers pushed through protesters to reach the flagpole and put a U.S. flag back up. While the demonstrators later removed it again, the rally ultimately dispersed by 4:30 p.m. and university officials installed new barriers around another U.S. flag.
Here are photos from the rally and subsequent clash between police and protesters on Tuesday afternoon. Click on a photo to enlarge and read the full caption.
UNC System police officers push back protesters from the front doors of South Building on the morning of April 30, as the demonstrators began protesting the detainment of 36 people. (Photo via Rafael Linhares.)
A group of UNC Students for Justice in Palestine supporters gather on the steps of South Building after some of their peers were detained from the encampment. (Photo via Rafael Linhares.)
Police officers face a group of protesters the morning of Tuesday, April 30. (Photo via Rafael Linhares.)
Hundreds of people gathered for the UNC Students for Justice in Palestine rally Tuesday afternoon, when demonstrators criticized UNC for the arrests of students and continued to voice support for those in Gaza.
A group of protesters sit on the steps of South Building and hold signs while people take turns speaking into a megaphone to the gathered crowd.
A participant in the UNC SJP rally shows off their painted fingernails and drum head, which they used to help lead chants on Tuesday.
Two men hold Palestinian flags at UNC’s administrative building while pro-Palestine organizers spoke at a rally on Tuesday.
The area around the central flagpole had temporary barricades put up by UNC Police following the sweep of the encampment earlier on Tuesday. Later, the rally would migrate over and remove the barriers to get to the flagpole again.
Pro-Palestine demonstrators lock arms around the flagpole after replacing the U.S. flag with a Palestinian flag on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 30. (Photo via Rafael Linhares.)
Police officers push demonstrators back from the flagpole at the center of Polk Place as UNC officials attempted to restore an American flag. (Photo via Rafael Linhares.)
A pro-Palestine demonstrator yells at police, who surround the flagpole at Polk Place on UNC’s campus. (Photo via Tyler Hanke.)
A protester is treated after being pepper-sprayed by responding police Tuesday afternoon. (Photo via Tyler Hanke.)
A group of UNC students try to prevent the United States flag from touching the ground after it was removed by pro-Palestine demonstrators on April 30. Another student holds an Israeli flag in counter-protest to the demonstration. (Photo via Tyler Hanke.)
Featured photo via Rafael Linhares.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines