Protesters on Friday interrupted a meeting where the University of Minnesota Board of Regents was set to approve tuition increases for the coming school year.
Several minutes into the 8:45 a.m. meeting, more than a dozen protesters stood in front of the regents, holding signs and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, tuition hikes have got to go.”
Regents left their seats, and the U’s live video feed cut out for about 15 minutes as the protesters listed a series of demands. They called for President Eric Kaler’s resignation, saying he has failed underrepresented communities.
At least six protesters were arrested while chanting, “Stop criminalizing dissent.” University of Minnesota Police said they were cited and released.
When the meeting resumed after about 20 minutes, Kaler responded to the protest.
“I do agree with many of our students’ concerns and appreciate their energy and passion. Among my top priorities is keeping tuition down, and the facts are that during my past five years as president, tuition increases have averaged less than 1 percent a year for undergraduates.
“We are also committed to addressing campus climate issues and making this a more diverse community, and we work hard on that,” he said.