BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — On the 100th day of the protest, Indiana University fenced off and cleared what was left of a pro-Palestine encampment in Dunn Meadow.
In an email Friday morning, Tom Morrison, Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities, said "the heavy use of that space since April and placement of temporary structures unfortunately damaged the area, necessitating extensive repairs now that the structures have been removed."
Friday's end to the encampment came the same week the Indiana University Board of Trustees voted to approve an expressive activity policy that sets new guidelines for when, where and how the IU community can protest on campus.
Under the new policy, which was drafted in June, expressive activity would be defined as “assemblies, speech, distribution of written material, carrying of signs, picketing, protests, counter-protests or sit-ins.”
Encampments and overnight expressive activity are also prohibited under the proposed policy, which mirrors the policy changed late into the night on April 24, the night before the IU Divestment Coalition began their encampment.
The expressive activity policy sets restrictions on “temporary structures,” but does not specifically state what is considered a temporary structure.
Indiana State Police arrested 55 people on April 25-27, but the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file any of the charges.
