It is 7 a.m. on Friday morning. A helicopter flies over the tents and people that are beginning to stir. After 24 hours of protesting, chanting and events including a seder and prayers of Islam in the “Northwestern Liberation Zone” organized by the Northwestern Divestment Coalition on Deering Meadow, the encampment is still going.

An email from the University to the campus community late last night stated that organizers declined to agree to University policies. The email stated the University would “move forward with other options” in the interest of safety. Protesters remained at the encampment overnight and encouraged those who couldn’t to join in the morning.

Protestors pass around a megaphone, promising to “set up a barricade if we need to.” Others who spent the night on the lawn help move their tents closer after the sprinklers were turned on overnight.

Some cars driving past honk, and one individual leans out of their window to yell while passing the lawn.

At 7:13 a.m., one protestor makes an announcement that they have officially been here for “24 fucking hours.”

As it gets closer to 8 a.m., people continue to wake up. Organizers lead a “de-arrest training” where protesters paired up to practice breaking someone’s hold on their arm and were instructed how to ask if they were under arrest while others clean up the lawn. Protestors discuss whether the police will come and prepare for how they will handle the situation if they do.

“Our expectation was yesterday night that we wouldn’t be able to sleep here and it would be dispersed,” one student organizer said. “It makes me feel safe [seeing there’s no police]. I feel very optimistic.”