INITIAL ALERTin-person
Verified verbatimLetter from Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and Provost Christopher Clemens delivered to the Polk Place encampment around 5:30 AM EDT on April 30, 2024 (Daily Tar Heel reporting)747 chars
For the last several months, we have spoken regularly and respectfully with the demonstrators on our campus, consistently supporting their right to assemble and express their views. We have also clearly communicated the University's long-standing policies on the use of shared public spaces. We have been clear that students and community members can assemble and make their voices heard, but University policies must be followed. All those assembled in Polk Place must remove all tents, tables and other items and depart from the area. Failure to follow this order to disperse will result in consequences including possible arrest, suspension from campus and, ultimately, expulsion from the university, which may prevent students from graduating.
Roberts and Clemens delivered this written dispersal order in person at the encampment around 5:30 AM EDT on April 30, 2024 — about 30 minutes before the 6 AM compliance deadline that triggered the morning arrests
The threat to 'prevent students from graduating' was unusual in encampment dispersal orders nationally and became a flashpoint with the UNC faculty
This letter preceded the later flag incident and the campus Condition 2 alert sent at 3 PM EDT — the alert system was used only after the dispersal letter and flag incident escalated