Detailed breakdown: High tensions, policy confusion led to protestor clash at Indiana University

Note: The video included above is from April 27 after 23 people were arrested during protests at Dunn Meadows.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A last-second policy change is blamed for much of the confusion that led to protestors and police officers clashing over multiple days on Indiana University’s campus.

A detailed breakdown of the events, assembled as part of an independent review , reveals how rising tensions on campus led to a controversial last-minute policy change which ignited tempers and caused student and faculty protestors to clash with state police.

During the clash, one state trooper suffered a broken finger while another was bitten by a protestor so forcibly he had to get stitches.

In total, 57 protestors would be arrested between April 25 and April 27 as Dunn Meadow — a stretch of campus long known for housing student protestors — turned into a battleground of freedom of speech versus lawful and safe assembly.

But the complex and heated discourse around the Hamas-Israel conflict didn’t begin on IU’s campus in April. Tensions began to simmer long before the cumulative clash of police and protestors.

The TikTok Incident

A TikTok video is blamed by many as enflaming tensions on IU’s campus months before the protests broke out at Dunn Meadow.

The video was posted in August of 2023 by an IU student who identified herself as Jewish. In the video, the female student reportedly made repeated disparaging comments about her Palestinian neighbor, who was also an IU student.

The video circulated on campus with many calling on the university to discipline the student. The university did post a statement condemning hate speech and discrimination.

Rising tensions

A few months later, the tension around the topic of Israel and Palestine ratcheted up once again after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. This led to multiple gatherings occurring on campus in support of both Palestine and Israel.

Reports of groups on each side shouting hateful messages at each other spread on IU’s campus with IU criticized by some for releasing statements that were too ambiguous on the contentious topic.

IU reportedly received multiple reports from Jewish students who said they felt unsafe walking around the campus at night due to possible harassment. Some also reported feeling uncomfortable by some professors allegedly making comments in support of Palestine.

In the fall of 2023, two members of IU’s student government resigned and accused other student government leaders of failing to address antisemitism on campus.

In December 2023, the university canceled a Palestinian-American artists exhibit. The exhibit had been planned for three years. IU leadership said the event was canceled due to concern that IUPD was too “thin and understaffed” to provide security.

The report noted it was unclear that this reason was communicated to the entire IU community, causing many to label it yet another misstep that added to the growing tension.

Into the spring semester, more reports of instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia came into both IUPD and the university. A swastika was found spray-painted on the Rotary Building, a bomb threat was made on the Chabad House, and two professors reported receiving threatening emails in Hebrew and English.

Reports made by students included harassment with Palestinian students saying they were called terrorists and rapists. Students wearing hijabs claimed they were targeted, shouted at and had cars swerve at them.

Pro-Palestinian protests were accused of intentionally disrupting campus tours during the spring semester. These disruptions caused concern among the IU administration and led to IUPD monitoring the tours.

A last-second policy change

Across the nation in April, many college campuses saw a rise in staged sit-in protests such as Pro-Palestinian students creating an encampment at Columbia University on April 17. IU leadership monitored these protests and sit-ins and expressed concern about the possibility of these encampments soon being erected at IU Bloomington.

According to IU leadership, these encampments posed safety and security risks along with the potential for disruption as students could seize control of university buildings.

On April 25, IU leadership learned that a local group called “IU Divestment Coalition” planned to erect an indefinite encampment on IU Bloomington’s campus. This led to IU invoking a provision in Dunn Meadow policy to convene an ad hoc committee to consider changes to existing policy.

At 9:30 p.m. on April 24, IU President Pamela Whitten held a virtual meeting with Provost Rahul Shrivastav, IUPD Superintendent Benjamin Hunter, attorneys from the General Counsel’s Office acting in an advisory capacity, and four to five other executive-level administrators. During this meeting, the planned encampment was recognized as “an escalation by protestors” which the administration saw as concerning for campus safety.

It was decided the encampment should not be allowed. During this meeting, it was also decided to request the assistance of Indiana State Police to clear the encampments if protestors did not comply.

At 10:30 p.m., Provost Shrivastav convened a remote meeting with the newly formed ad hoc committee and the long-standing policy was changed just a few strokes before midnight.

But how would protestors learn of these changes made so swiftly and suddenly on the eve of the planned protest?

The committee chose a three-pronged approach: to post signs detailing the new policy in Dunn Meadow, to hand out leaflets and for police to verbal give warnings about the new policy.

April 25: Day one of the protests

By the end of the day on April 25, 34 people would be arrested by state police as protestors clashed and argued about the validity of these new policies.

While IU officials posted signs and handed out fliers detailing the new policy, students argued against the new policy language by pointing out the conflicting language of the old policy — which was still posted on the university’s website.

The investigation found that the new policy did end up being posted on IU Bloomington’s Office of Student Life website at 8 a.m., but it wasn’t easy to find.

By 11 a.m., approximately 30 protestors were already congregating in Dunn Meadow and began to lay out tarps and erect tents.

Confusion over the policy continued with faculty members also arguing with police with one even reading the 1969 policy out loud to an officer and not believing the officer when told the policy had changed. Officers were repeatedly told it was they who were “misinterpreting” the policy.

Members of the Demonstration Response and Safety Team also handed out fliers to protestors about the new policy. Protestors reportedly refused to take them and called them false and not inaccurate.

By 11:30 a.m., the protestors’ encampment grew and it was declared a “Liberated Zone for Gaza” with protestors bringing in supplies such as toilet paper, food, drinks and more.

At 12:40 p.m., Jewish students began assembling outside the Chabad House with some wrapped in Israeli flags and dancing to Israeli music. In at least two instances, a protestor from the Dunn Meadow group walked up and unplugged the speaker on the Chabad property.

Students walking past reported some Dunn Meadow protestors even shouted antisemitic statements at the Jewish students.

At 12:50 p.m., IUPD issued its first formal warning against the protestors using a PA system.

At 12:56 p.m., a second warning was given.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., protestors were told that if the tents did not come down, state police would come in and clear everyone out.

“If you resist us or stay, you will be arrested, okay?” the officer tells the protestors.

The protestors were told they can stay in Dunn Meadow until 11 p.m., but the tents must come down. Indiana State Police reiterated force would be used, if necessary.

At 1:49 p.m., IUPD issued a third warning. Protestors then consolidate their tents and encircle around them.

At 3:45 p.m., around 30 state troopers and 15 IUPD officers enter Dunn Meadow. State troopers are equipped with helmets and face shields with some equipped with shields.

As the police approach, approximately 100 protestors lock arms and form a line. They begin chants such as, “ISP, KKK, IOF they’re all the same” along with calling America and Israel a “terrorist state.”

At least three protestors hold wooden shields, which police consider a weapon.

At 3:52 p.m., police give the protestors a five-minute warning to clear out.

When police push forward five minutes later, protestors push back against the police line.

During the clash, one protest was pulled through the police line, escaped and fled, but was caught by police and arrested.

At one point, a protestor bit an ISP trooper on the forearm. The trooper would later get stitches for his wound, the investigation found. While clearing out the encampment on April 25, another trooper suffered a broken finger.

Police would push the protestors out of the camp by 4:15 p.m. with IU staff disassembling the tents.

April 26, day two of protests

Protestors returned to Dunn Meadow on the morning of April 26 and once more began to set up tents. Leaflets detailing the new policy were again attempted to be distributed, but denied by many protestors who said, “Don’t take the forms.”

IUPD officers reported that protesters were seen building homemade shields.

That night, at 11 p.m., a group of Jewish students leaving the Chabad House reported being followed by an unknown man who screamed slurs and threw items at their homes. One of the students told police the man appeared to come from the Dunn Meadow encampment.

The encampment was left alone on April 26 with protestors staying at Dunn Meadow overnight.

April 27, day three of protests

Protestors would not be left alone on April 27, however, as state troopers would again be called in to tear down tents and remove the entrenched protestors. In total, 23 protestors would be arrested on April 27, bringing the final total of protestors arrested to 57 over the three-day incident.

Approximately 30 people were camped in 15 tents on Dunn Meadow on April 27.

IUPD and ISP reported spotting rocks in tents and buckets inside the camp and worried they would be used as weapons against police encroachment.

At approximately 12:18 p.m., approximately 60 ISP troopers entered Dunn Meadow. Due to a trooper previously being bit and another having his finger broken, ISP troopers wore body armor in this encounter.

Once more, police began announcing warnings for the protestors to disperse. They were again told they could stay, however, if they removed their tents and other structures.

Protestors chanted, “shame,” at the police.

By 12:34 p.m., police said two canopy-style tents remained up with protestors refusing to take the structures down despite repeated warnings.

One minute later, the state troopers advanced.

Once again, police and protestors clashed with some protestors pulled away and handcuffed by police officers. At times, protestors were even pinned to the ground until officers were able to cuff them.

One of the protestor leaders reportedly ran from Dunn Meadow with an officer chasing after him. The officer caught the protest leader but several other protestors intervened and tried to pull the man free from the arresting officer. More officers arrived and tackled the interfering protestors.

By 12:50 p.m., state police had cleared the Dunn Meadow camp and the remaining structures were again dissembled.

After the arrested protestors were taken to jail, a group gathered outside Monroe County Jail and chanted for their freedom.

More tents were set up in Dunn Meadow with seven erected by 3:45 p.m. These tents remained overnight at Dunn Meadow.

One student also officially requested setting up tents for the first time on April 27, as part of the new policy. The student was told the request was under review.

Aftermath

On April 28, the student who submitted the request to erect tents in Dunn Meadow was given approval. But only for two tents.

The student withdrew their request due to the limitations.

On April 28, IU announced it would suspend the trespass ban notices issued to arrested protestors who were appealing the ban. This would allow students and faculty to complete their semesters.

President Whitten issued a public statement on April 29 stating the university decided to stand down on the protest responses to give more time for protestors to be notified and comply with the new policy.

Tensions continued on campus, however, with faculty and students calling for Whitten to resign or be removed. On May 3, during commencement, some in the crowd even shouted “resign” and “free Palestine” during Whitten’s speech.

Many students reported the protests and clash with police on Dunn Meadow, along with the tension surrounding Israel-Palestine on campus, as disruptive to the educational environment in a time when most students were studying and preparing for their finals.

IU also faced heavy criticism from both inside and outside the university not just for the last-second policy change, but for also failing to consistently enforce said policy change — seemingly only choosing to enforce the policy on two occasions on April 25 and April 27.

Some also criticized IU for calling in state police to deal with the protestors, while IU stated their own police force was understaffed and not properly equipped to deal with the protestors.

On May 15, the IU Board of Trustees asked for an independent review to be conducted.

On May 31, the Monroe County Prosecutor declined to file any charges against the 50+ people arrested during the protests.

Issues continue in Dunn Meadow

To this day, encampments continue in Dunn Meadow with the size and number of tents fluctuating. The tents also remain past 11 p.m.

Complaints continue to be filed with IUPD about encampment residents vandalizing a sidewalk north of Dunn Meadow including painting Palestinian flags. Several unhoused individuals have also moved in and set up tents in Dunn Meadow with one suffering a drug overdose at one point while staying in the encampment.

Campus tours continue to be disrupted by protestors from the encampment despite repeated warnings from IUPD.

“Per IUPD, most campus tours since the end of the spring 2024 semester have been protested and disrupted in some form,” the findings state.

Final findings and recommendations

The findings of this independent report were assembled by the Cooley law firm. The firm collected more than 100 hours of video footage and reviewed more than 10,000 internal documents and emails. The firm also conducted a wide array of interviews with students, campus representatives, faculty, members of law enforcement and more.

To read the report’s key observations and recommendations issued to IU, click here .

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