Short-term occupation of lecture hall ends

With the evacuation of Lecture Hall 1 in the Campus Center, classes can resume as normal effective immediately. Courses are held every day in the university’s largest lecture hall. The winter semester began recently. About 17 classes and informational events were rescheduled or canceled due to the occupation, including the “Day of Technology” event with high school students.

A group of students had occupied the lecture hall yesterday, Wednesday, following the Senate’s decision to revise the university’s constitution. The number of students varied between 100 and, most recently, just under 50, depending on the time of day. Discussions between university administration and the occupiers yielded no results.

The university administration had asked the occupiers to leave the hall in order to allow for necessary teaching activities. The police also offered several times to allow them to leave the room. Since only some of the occupiers complied with the request, the police cleared the lecture hall in consultation with the university administration. Some of the occupiers resisted; according to police reports, six officers sustained minor injuries.

According to the police, criminal charges were filed against three occupiers for assaulting law enforcement officers. Additionally, 47 people are under investigation for trespassing and violating the Hessian Freedom of Assembly Act. The University of Kassel has filed a criminal complaint for trespassing.