Now Wash U Really Doesn't Want You to See What They're Up To

Last Friday, Washington University responded to the turmoil roiling its campus on the edge of St. Louis by erecting a barrier. As the university informed students and staff that morning that fencing was going up and university-issued ID would now be required in order to enter, fences were already being erected encircling campus.

The barriers are a reaction, of course, to the protests over Israel's war in Gaza that have gripped universities across the U.S. After pro-Palestinian protestors attempted to set up an encampment at Wash U on April 27, police made 100 arrests.

Less than a week later, as activists announced another action just across the street, Wash U said it was fencing the perimeter of the Danforth campus "in order to ensure pedestrian safety and keep the area clear while crews are setting up a stage and other structures associated with the post-Commencement celebration." Activists, meanwhile, are hosting a daily "post-up for Palestine" across the street from campus each day until Commencement.

Yesterday, RFT photojournalist Zachary Linhares observed workers adding another layer of security to the perimeter of campus — tarp on top of the fencing, blocking outsiders from seeing in.

Scroll down to see what he witnessed.