The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has issued a letter to protesters, instructing them to peacefully clear an encampment by 2:30 p.m. on Monday or face disciplinary consequences. This directive comes after attempts to reach a resolution with the protesters failed.
Students who choose not to comply with the deadline risk facing immediate interim academic suspension, which would prevent them from participating in classes, exams, research, or graduation activities. The encampment was initially set up by pro-Palestinian students at MIT in solidarity with peers at Columbia University, with over a dozen tents erected at Kresge Oval in Cambridge.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth expressed concerns about potential outside interference and the risk of violence. She cited evidence of external influences on U.S. campuses, including literature advocating escalation and instructions for disruptive actions.
Barriers were recently installed around the encampment by the university in anticipation of a counterprotest organized by the New England chapter of the Israeli American Council.
The letter distributed to MIT activists outlined escalating consequences based on their compliance with the evacuation order. Students with prior disciplinary sanctions or pending cases since October 7 face immediate interim full suspension, which includes restrictions on residence hall access and dining hall privileges.
Students who voluntarily leave the encampment and swipe their IDs upon departure will have this action considered as a mitigating factor in their disciplinary proceedings. President Kornbluth emphasized that the prolonged unauthorized use of MIT property for protests, particularly on contentious issues, is no longer sustainable.
