Pitt encampment leaders say chancellor’s push for elevated police presence prompted dispersal

Police block protestors from accessing an encampment constructed at the University of Pittsburgh on June 3, 2024. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/PublicSource) Pitt Apartheid Divest organizers, who led a 32-hour occupation of part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning lawn, said the mayor’s warning of the prospect of forcible removal by state troopers was key to their decision to disband. “PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for our free newsletters.” by Emma Folts, PublicSource June 5, 2024 A day after disbanding their encampment at the University of Pittsburgh, pro-Palestinian protesters claimed on Wednesday that Chancellor Joan Gabel had sought a stronger police response to the protest than the city had pursued.& The protesters formed the encampment Sunday evening on the lawn of Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning, chiefly calling on the university to divest from companies supporting Israel as the war in Gaza continues. Tensions rose between police and the hundreds of protesters as the occupation continued, with protesters attempting to push down police barriers and one officer pushing a student down Cathedral steps.& Multiple departments, including city, state and university bureaus, were on the scene throughout the protest. The organizers dispersed early Tuesday...