217 Today: Pro-Palestine groups reconstruct encampment, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations

At 5 p.m. on Sunday, protesters gathered near Foellinger Auditorium, linked arms in a circle and set up about a dozen tents in the middle.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Today’s headlines: 

  • Pro-Palestinian demonstrators camped out overnight at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They’re back to demand the campus divest from companies with ties to Israel’s military.
  • A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their urban counterparts.
  • Researchers say since cash bail was eliminated in Illinois, almost no one charged with domestic violence is being held in jail while awaiting trial.
  • Former Illinois football players Johnny Newton, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman, and Casey Washington were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how the University of Illinois officials and police have been responding to encampments on campus in support of Palestine this weekend.

Reporting today contributed by Farrah Anderson, Mawa Iqbal, Anna Pope, Colin Hislope, Nour Longi and Emily Hays.

Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.