Statement on Protests on the Evening of May 1, 2024

On May 1 at 9 p.m., around 200 protestors gathered on Beinecke Plaza and then walked to the street in front of the President’s House and the Yale Police Department. The group refused to disperse after repeated warnings from the Yale Police Department that they were violating university policies by occupying parts of campus without permission. At approximately 11:45 p.m., as the group made their way toward Cross Campus, Yale Police reported that four protestors—two Yale students and two non-students— were arrested and charged with criminal trespass in the first degree and disorderly conduct; one of the four individuals arrested was also charged with interfering with a police officer.

As President Salovey has outlined in his recent messages to the Yale community, the university fully supports peaceful protests and freedom of speech, but it does not tolerate the breaking of its policies, which are designed to keep the university functioning and protect the safety and welfare of the entire Yale community. He has also underscored the need for civility.

Members of the Yale community must follow the university’s policies and guidelines regarding free expression and peaceable assembly, the policy on the use of outdoor spaces, the policy on postering and chalking, and the policy on structures. Additionally, to support students during the reading period and the final exam period, the use by groups of outdoor spaces on campus must end by 11 p.m.