University of Minnesota interim President Jeff Ettinger said in a Thursday letter to staff, faculty and students that officials have reached a settlement with pro-Palestinian protesters that will end the encampment on Northrop Mall.

As a result the U will reopen buildings on the mall at noon Thursday, Ettinger said in his letter. Protesters agreed not to disrupt upcoming final exams and commencements at the University. Representatives of the coalition of protesters also will be allowed to the Board of Regents at a May 10 meeting.

The agreement comes after Ettinger and other officials met with the UMN Divest Coalition, his letter said.

“Following a constructive dialogue with multiple representatives of those protesting, I am pleased to share that we have reached an initial agreement that will end the encampment,” Ettinger said.

The full agreement can be found at drive.google.com/file/d/1LBENo3xy6KHE9NCRUWeInxvkLkGk9v3E/view

Dozens of students in the past week moved into some 50 tents along the Northrop Auditorium mall green on the school’s East Bank campus in Minneapolis, at times linking arms to refuse police dispersal orders that tend to come late at night.

The U had kept 13 buildings along the mall closed this week, including Coffman Union, the Weisman Art Museum and Murphy Hall, forcing some classes to relocate or go online during the final exams of the semester. Nine students were arrested April 23 as the encampments first emerged.

Across the country, administrators also are under pressure from pro-Israeli donors, students and alumni to stay clear of the topic.

The bombardments of Gaza have followed the events of Oct. 7, when some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed by Hamas and other pro-Palestinian militants in the worst attack on Israeli soil since the nation’s founding in 1948. More than 240 people were taken hostage. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada and the European Union.

Some Jewish students quoted in the national press said they have felt uncomfortable on their campuses, or pointed out protest chants that had turned explicitly violent and anti-Semitic.

In his letter, Ettinger said he valued the conversations with protesters that led to the agreement.

“While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress,” Ettinger wrote.

He also noted that “the University supports freedom of expression as a fundamental part of our mission.”

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