Virginia Tech Police say that they arrested 82 people late Sunday night and early Monday when they broke up a days-long protest on campus, and were charged with trespassing. 53 are current Virginia Tech students, according to a revised statement from the university.
Beginning April 26, students occupied a grassy lawn in front of the Graduate Life Center on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus. Among their several demands, protestors said they want the University to disclose any financial ties to companies that promote the war in Gaza.
Over the weekend, protestors sang, danced and held informational workshops about labor history. By Sunday, the crowd grew to several hundred people.
Protestors remained peaceful, but emotions were high.
Police, campus administrators, and organizers spent much of Sunday in a standoff, according to one of the student organizers, Emon Green, who had this to say, around 5 pm. “A bunch of people linked arms,” said Green. “And when [police] come back at 8:30 we’ll see what the situation is and how best to respond.”
A few hours later, police returned, driving vans, and began handcuffing protestors, including Green.
The University issued a warning to avoid the area and the crowd grew, as more people, curious of what was happening, came to watch the scene unfold.
Police put 82 protestors into vans, drove them off campus, and charged them with trespassing.
The University released a statement stating the protest was in violation of campus policy, partly because so many people were gathered around numerous campus spaces.
University president Tim Sands also responded to the incident, saying he was disappointed to see division, and he supports free speech, but not when people break the law or create a threat to safety for others.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
