In a significant development, the student-led protest encampment at Auraria Campus, aimed at raising awareness about the war in Gaza, has officially come to an end after lasting over three weeks. The protest, which gained momentum nationwide after the arrest of students at Columbia University in April, called for an end to the conflict in Gaza, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and led to the disruption of countless lives.

Throughout their three-week-long demonstration, the protesters set up tents and public art pieces at Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus. However, on Friday, the demonstrators scattered across the campus, relocating their tents and artwork. Auraria Higher Education Center spokesperson, Devra Ashby, referred to the encampment as "abandoned" and confirmed that the cleaning process of the quad has commenced.

During the course of the protests, a total of 80 arrests were made, including 16 active students and three staff and faculty members. Despite the arrest numbers and the long duration of the encampment, the University of Colorado Board of Regents asserted that no policy changes would be implemented in response to the protesters' demands.

Notably, the protest organizers highlighted one significant achievement in their statement on Instagram. Metropolitan State University agreed to provide information regarding its investments, a demand that was met partially. However, they expressed disappointment as their other demands, such as the issuance of statements in opposition to the war and severing ties with companies holding contracts with Israel and the U.S. military, were not met.

The conclusion of the encampment at Auraria Campus aligns with recent developments where other student-led protests across the country have started striking deals with colleges to bring about an end to demonstrations. Harvard University, for example, recently agreed to engage in a discussion regarding concerns about its endowment and reinstating suspended students during the protests. Similarly, Brown University has agreed to formally vote on divestment.

As the encampment draws to a close, Auraria leadership has announced that Tivoli Quad and all other green spaces on campus will remain closed until further notice for clean-up and property repairs. Due to the encampment, all three schools at Auraria had switched to remote learning at the end of last week. The campus will continue to be restricted to critical personnel and operations for the time being, with no clear timeline provided for potential changes.

Auraria Higher Education Center expressed its hope that the conclusion of this unauthorized occupation will mark the end of a period that has diverted valuable time, resources, and dialogue from the academic mission and goals of the campus. Despite not achieving all of their desired outcomes, the student organizers are still proud of the milestones achieved and the power of their collective mobilization to bring attention to the war in Gaza.