May 21, 2024

The University of Michigan has always recognized the importance of free speech and expression, but we also have a duty to protect students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus. Following a May 17 inspection by the university fire marshal, who determined that were a fire to occur, a catastrophic loss of life was likely, and subsequent refusal by camp occupants to remove fire hazards, the University this morning removed the encampment on the Diag, an area that serves as our main quad.

The disregard for safety directives was the latest in a series of troubling events centered on the encampment. These events included destruction of property, a protest at the University of Michigan Museum of Art that descended into violence and actions outside the home of a regent that amounted to vandalism and trespass. Individuals will continue to be welcome to protest as they always have at the University of Michigan, so long as those protests do not infringe on the rights of others, endanger our community, violate the law or disrupt university operations.

President Ono’s full message to the University

Statement from the Division of Public Safety and Security:

This morning, just before 6 a.m., university law enforcement began clearing the encampment on the Central Campus Diag at the University of Michigan. Officers issued three verbal warnings over a 15-minute period, asking the approximately 50 people who were in the encampment to leave voluntarily before being subject to arrest. There were four arrests.

In recent days, encampment participants have also received numerous outreach attempts from U-M administrators and DPSS leadership, asking them to leave. The encampment posed safety risks, both to participants and the community at large, and its presence was in violation of policies and regulations. Its removal was important to help maintain the safety and security of the U-M campus community.