DePaul University students, faculty hold walkout over impasse on divestment negotiations

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There was a student walkout at DePaul University Wednesday after students in a pro-Palestinian encampment and the administration reached an impasse on demands to divest from Israel.

By 4 p.m., there was a large group of protesters and their supporters in the center of the quad, listening to speakers and chanting rallying cries, in what has been overall a loud but peaceful gathering.

Encampment organizers said they mobilized a 3 p.m. walkout of students and faculty, though it was not immediately clear how many actually walked out of class.

The gathering is a show of solidarity with protesters who have been camped out for more than two weeks calling for the university to divest from companies that benefit Israel.

READ MORE: DePaul pro-Palestinian encampment reaches 2-week mark, as protesters refuse to leave quad

DePaul's president has said he respects the rights of students to protest, but said the encampment has drawn counter-protesters which have led to security concerns. DePaul said talks with protesters reached an impasse a few days ago, which prompted the university to cancel a planned music festival that was to be held in the quad Friday.

Encampment organizers said they're willing to keep talking.

RELATED: Protesters deny DePaul University's request to vacate encampment as negotiations 'are at an impasse'

"We did invite them a few days ago to another negotiation meeting in which they pulled a no-show. They didn't even offer us an email as to why they couldn't. So, yeah, we are still willing to negotiate. We're still here. We're not, we're always going to be willing to negotiate. It's more so on administration side," said Henna Ayesh of the DePaul Divestment Coalition.

Protest organizers said they chose today for the walkout in part because many Palestinians mark this date as the start of displacement following Israel's Independence Day on May 14, 1948.

ABC7 left messages for a DePaul spokesperson for comment on the walkout, but has not heard back.