On Saturday, University Police sent many text messages warning people to stay away of the Rotunda, so – of course -- a large crowd gathered as state police were arriving in riot gear. When they moved in to arrest 27 people protesting the war in Gaza, the crowd was not pleased, chanting “Shame on you! Shame on you!”
Criticism continued over the weekend, prompting UVA President Jim Ryan to express his regrets.
“I completely understand and recognize the distress caused by the level of police presence on grounds, especially the state police," he said during a virtual town hall. "I’m very sorry it got to that point. It’s the last thing any of us wanted.”
But Ryan said he was worried about public safety when, on Friday night demonstrators sent out pleas on social media for others to join them.
“Four men, dressed in black, carrying large backpacks and wearing helmets entered and remained in the encampment," he recalled. "At least two of these were known to law enforcement personnel as participating in violent acts elsewhere in the Commonwealth.”
Ryan gave no further details about the mysterious outsiders, but campus police chief Tim Longo was alarmed.
“All we have to do is turn on the TV every night and look at violence around our nation and around the world," he explained. "There are people who will come to events like this for the sole purpose of creating a disruption, so that was our fear.”
And he was concerned by the rhetoric he heard from protesters.
“They had a duty to fight for their cause. They had a duty to win, and they had nothing to lose."
Longo felt sure the situation would escalate after officers tried to take down tents, prohibited by university policy.
“Officers were met with the use of umbrellas in an aggressive manner," he said. "At least one person swung their hands in the direction of officers, and one officer was actually struck.”
He insisted many attempts were made to reach a peaceful end to the stand-off, and proposed a compromise.
“Considering the encroaching inclement weather, we welcomed the participants in the camp to use the porticos around the rotunda for shelter, but the tents had to come down.”
Demonstrators like Em Gunter had complained that the president had refused to discuss their demands including transparency about university investments in Israel and companies making weapons used to kill civilians in Gaza.
“In 1970 UVA students protested the Vietnam War, and President Shannon came out to the students and gave a statement," she said. "In 2024, where have they been? Absent!”
But Ryan insisted the administration was prepared to address concerns raised by the group.
"It sent a set of demands on Friday. We responded with a note inviting further conversation and in 30 minutes, in red ink they had written bu****** on our response. That gives you a sense of their unwillingness and lack of interest in engagement."
Asked if it was sometimes okay for students to break the rules, Ryan said he respected those who commit civil disobedience.
"You feel so passionate about a cause that you’re willing to break the law and suffer the consequences, but the key is it’s peaceful."
Couldn’t the administration make an exception – allowing protesters to defy the tent policy when a much larger issue was at stake?
"In my own view," Ryan said, "if you start to make exceptions based on the content, you’re lost, because if you make one exception because you believe that the cause is very just, you’re going to be faced with other instances where you’re going to have to make the same decision."
He noted campus rules had changed since neo-Nazis marched at UVA in 2017 and said the administration should probably have acted more quickly to stop that demonstration.
He said students who took part in the latest protest would be allowed to take final exams and seniors could graduate.
"I’m acutely aware that many of our graduating students did not have a high school graduation thanks to the pandemic, and that this moment is especially meaningful for them. I have every expectation that graduation will continue as planned."
Ryan closed by insisting he cares about every student at UVA – even those who defied university rules to protest.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
