As the spring semester comes to a close, protests demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war continue to spread at Colorado colleges, with a new encampment at the University of Denver and disturbances reported at graduation ceremonies last weekend for the University of Colorado Denver and Metropolitan State University of Denver.

A group called DU for Palestine set up a Gaza solidarity encampment at DU’s Carnegie Green on Thursday, mirroring the efforts of the Denver Students for a Democratic Society and Colorado Palestine Coalition, who began an encampment at the Auraria Campus on April 25.

DU administrators shared a new interim policy on protests and demonstrations that day, creating guidelines for acceptable demonstrations and prohibiting those that disrupt meetings or events, impede other DU community members from engaging in free expression, or harm people or property. The policy states the university can relocate and reschedule a protest and perform ticket or identification checks, as well as enforce other safety measures.

“We are focused on maintaining the safety of 12,000 students who are trying to finish out their academic year, while approximately 50 students are trying to make their voices heard,” university officials said in a statement to The Denver Post on Monday. “It’s a balance and one we evaluate and re-evaluate by the hour.”

On Firday, DU for Palestine shared its demands for the school on Instagram, calling for financial divestment from “companies and institutions that profit from or support the illegal Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation of Palestine,” as well as the severing of all academic ties with “weapons manufacturers” and Israeli universities, according to the post.

On Saturday, DU for Palestine alleged the university’s administration planned to sweep the encampment and had requested that encampment participants present DU student identification, according to another Instagram post. DU officials denied it had threatened to “sweep” the camp or have anyone arrested.

“We have seen various instances of noncompliance from encampment participants, including refusal to show university-issued ID upon request.” DU stated in a Sunday news release, reminding students that noncompliance could result in a referral to the Student Rights and Responsibilities or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX.

The Post could not reach protest organizers for comment Monday.

DU for Palestine met with the university’s administration for the first time on Friday and again on Sunday, according to a DU news release.

“We went into that meeting really wanting to talk about disclosure. That’s really the first step to all of our demands is disclosing what investments the University of Denver has with the state of Israel and companies that operate within the state of Israel,” Jojo Carranza, a DU graduate student and DU for Palestine member, said during a news conference on Sunday. “In that meeting, our demands were not met to disclose those investments. What was given was a verbal agreement that they would continue meeting with DU for Palestine on topics of disclosure.”

The protests at DU follow on the heels of the Gaza solidarity encampment at Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, where students are calling for the UC system and MSU Denver to divest from all funding and activities related to Israel. Police arrested more than 40 students and dismantled the camp on April 26, with officials citing the campus’s policy against camping. The encampment, now 18 days old, was rebuilt later that day.

Anti-war protesters also disrupted CU Denver’s commencement ceremony at the Denver Coliseum on Saturday by yelling and chanting, according to reporting by Denver 7. Demonstrators also interrupted the MSU graduation ceremony with chants of “free Palestine,” accompanied by raised hands dipped in red paint, according to a post by SDS Denver.

Demonstrations at other Colorado universities at the beginning of May, including the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado and Colorado College, called for a ceasefire and for campus leaders to divest from activities and funding related to Israel.

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Land Advisors Organization, the nation’s largest brokerage focused specifically on land, has expanded into the Denver market to serve landowners, home builders and developers. The firm’s newest office, located on the 9th floor at 4600 South Syracuse Street in Denver, is led by Tom Kaufman, a real estate veteran with expertise in raw land, land planning, land management, subdivision management, and land brokerage.

Kaufman, who previously worked with Land Advisors Organization over a decade ago, focuses on advising landowners and purchasers of land parcels throughout the Denver metro area and across the Front Range. He has extensive experience working with parties on the sale and purchase of vacant land parcels and large-scale developments. He provides valuable insight into site selection, real estate planning and the various issues faced by the homebuilding industry, developers and investors in the market.

“The Denver market’s consistent growth and our relationships with many builders looking to expand their presence there are behind our decision to re-establish our presence in Colorado,” said Greg Vogel, CEO of Land Advisors Organization. “Tom’s background and knowledge of the market set him apart, making him an exceptional advisor to landowners and developers, and allows us to provide significant opportunities to both local and national builders, and developers expanding in the region.”

Active in the commercial real estate and homebuilding industries, Kaufman is involved with the Homebuilders Association (HBA) of metro Denver, serving on the HBA’s Metro Housing Coalition committee. Additionally, he is involved with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), serving on ULI’s Growth Outreach Committee. He is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP). In the community, Kaufman dedicates his free time to several causes that benefit children, veterans and pets.  

Kaufman earned both a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and a Master of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.

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