MINNEAPOLIS— The University of Minnesota has postponed a lecture Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday evening due to the unrest on campus.
Fauci was scheduled to speak in Northrop at 6 p.m. Earlier in the day, some students gathered in support of the Eleven pro-Palestinian protesters arrested on campus on Monday.
“The University of Minnesota has made the difficult decision to reschedule last night’s Distinguished Carlson Lecture with Dr. Anthony Fauci,” the school said in a statement. “Given the importance of this lecture and the unexpected and complicated incidents that have occurred on campus over the past 24 hours, university officials determined it was best to reschedule the lecture to ensure a great experience for those in attendance and our university community.”
The school said all tickets will be voided and information about the rescheduled event will be shared later.
A group of protesters demanding the university’s divestment from companies that support Israel entered Morrill Hall on Monday afternoon. They barricaded the building’s entrances and exits, officials said. Authorities entered the building through underground tunnels and arrested eleven students and alumni.
As of Wednesday morning, no charges had been filed against the 11 arrested, who range in age from 18 to 26.
Monday’s protest was organized by the group UMN students for a democratic societywhich calls on the university to divest from companies that support Israel. The Board of Regents declined to do so in August after weeks of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
Fauci was the public face of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. He retired in 2022 after a 50-year career in medicine.
