Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
We are saddened to report that earlier today protests on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus escalated. We realize today’s events were stressful for everyone in our university community. We are relieved to know that while there were concerning incidents, the situation ultimately deescalated. We would like to share a full summary of what occurred:
- This morning, a counter protest was planned to take place on the Lincoln Park Campus at 10:30 a.m. The university worked with the counter-protest organizers to identify a dedicated space to maintain distance away from ongoing protests in the encampment on the Quad.
- Ahead of this protest, we communicated with all members of the encampment and the counter protesters about our expectations for the protests to occur. Despite the outlined guidelines, the protesters and counter protesters encountered each other and escalation occurred.
- The Chicago Police Department had planned to be on the scene, as they do for many protests these days, to ensure the safety and well-being of DePaul’s students, faculty, staff, and local community. This is standard procedure when there are planned protests in Chicago communities.
- When tensions escalated, CPD called for backup, which again would occur in any similar situation. The university did not call CPD, and we are very grateful they were present to help with the de-escalation process.
- Chicago police stood between the two opposing groups of protesters at the Fullerton entrance to the Quad for several hours. Members of our DePaul community including staff from Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry and Public Safety were also on the scene with the hope of assisting with the de-escalation.
- A DPU Alert sent at 11:05 a.m. instructed the campus community to avoid the area and campus buildings facing the Lincoln Park Quad were locked, according to our standard safety protocols. We created a live updates page and issued four more DPU Alerts to keep the university community informed, with the all clear being given at 3:10 p.m.
- We received reports that two people received treatment for minor injuries.
- No arrests were made.
The university is aware that many protesters and counter protesters on campus today were not part of the DePaul community. While no arrests were made today, CPD is looking into some of the more critical incidents that occurred between the two protesting groups.
We want to thank everybody who played a role in de-escalating the tensions between the two protesting groups. As a result, classes and other university operations will continue as planned on Monday, May 6.
We understand that these expressions of free speech and clashes of protesting groups will have affected many in our community. Please remember there are resources available at our university, and we included a list at the bottom of this message.
Our first and foremost priority is the safety of all DePaul students, faculty, and staff. We are deeply concerned that today’s events escalated beyond peaceful protest on the Lincoln Park Campus.
We, along with members of the engagement team, have requested to meet with students from the DePaul Divestment Coalition tomorrow. It is our sincerest hope that our dialogue will result in solutions for the university that will allow us to move forward.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President
Salma Ghanem
Provost
Sherri Sidler
Executive Vice President and CFO
Available Resources for the DePaul Community
If you experience any threats or acts of violence, please report them immediately to Public Safety at 773-325-7777 (Lincoln Park) or 312-362-8400 (Loop).
If you are struggling personally, please know that the following services are always available to you:
- University Counseling and Psychological Services: Students may call 773-325-2273, option 1 | Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- ComPsych Employee Assistance Program: 1-800-621-4124 | Offered to DePaul employees, spouses, and dependents, ComPsych counseling experts can help you and your family manage through difficult life situations. To speak with a counselor or to schedule an appointment, call 800-621-4124.
- Division of Mission & Ministry: 773-325-7902 | Guided by an ethic of Vincentian personalism and professionalism, DePaul’s Mission & Ministry department is dedicated to upholding the dignity of all members of our diverse, multi-faith, and inclusive community.
- International Student & Scholar Services: 312-362-8376 | iss@depaul.edu| International students can reach out to their assigned advisor for assistance at any time.