Pittsburgh Encampment Vacated After Protesters Meet with Mayor
Tents sit unoccupied near the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh after protesters dispersed from the encampment early in the morning on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024
Protesters voluntarily dispersed early Tuesday morning from an encampment that was set up on Sunday next to the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh
The dispersal followed a meeting with the Mayor, the County Executive, and representatives that included “a mixture of Palestinian and Jewish students and faculty”, per a statement by Maria Montaño, Communications Director for Mayor Ed Gainey
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon regarding the encampment and meeting, the mayor stated it was not an endorsement of demands, “but in order to move people, we needed to break down barriers and silos, sit down with them”
A statement from the mayor released on Tuesday said “Other than sitting down to meet with the Chancellor, we did not discuss any of their demands of the University” and “Our conversation was focused solely on how to keep everyone safe”
Following the meeting, protesters at the encampment left Pitt’s campus. A small police presence was out after protesters dispersed, and crews came through to clear items left at the encampment later in the morning