(Courtesy of Keegan Brooks)
ATLANTA - The University of Georgia in Athens has released a statement regarding the arrest of protesters on its campus on Monday.
The protesters, identified as part of a group called Students for Justice of Palestine, established an encampment on the Old College Front Lawn at the university's North Campus around 6:30 a.m. Monday.
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According to a statement from the group, they set up the encampment to "demand university solidarity, protection, and disclosure and divestment of financial relationships with Zionist organizations."
After repeated requests to remove the tents and barricades for over an hour, UGA Police intervened to arrest those who refused to comply. Initially, the number of arrests was undisclosed.
UGA now confirms that 16 individuals were arrested, including 9 UGA students. Additionally, Students for Justice of Palestine received an interim suspension. However, the university cites federal privacy laws for its inability to comment on individual student disciplinary matters.
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Will arrested UGA protesters face charges?
As anti-war protests at college campuses continue around the U.S., videos surfaced of protesters being arrested on the campus of UGA Monday morning. The question now is whether those arrested will face charges.
UGA's statement highlights its facilitation of thousands of expressive activities, such as marches, protests, vigils, and speeches, in the 2023-24 academic year alone, in line with its Freedom of Expression policy.
The university reports five protests held this week, with several more planned. Only one protest led to arrests—Monday morning's event, which was not registered as required by university policy.
According to UGA, the protesting group had previously organized numerous registered events on campus and was reminded of the reservation requirement by the Associate Dean of Students before Monday's incident.
UGA underscores that its Freedom of Expression Policy has prohibited encampments on campus since the early 1990s, a rule the protesters "knew."
Protesters were presented with two options: remove the tents and barricades, complete a reservation form, and continue their protest, or relocate their encampment to an area on campus not requiring a reservation. The group reportedly refused, engaging in arm-locking and profanity-laden shouting.
UGA concludes by asserting, "Make no mistake: These individuals chose to be arrested, and they chose to resist arrest. They are all adults, and they consciously made these unfortunate decisions. But actions have consequences."
Multiple protests in metro Atlanta
There have been multiple protests the past couple of weeks at various colleges and universities in the metro Atlanta area.
On April 25, 28 people were arrested during a protest at Emory University after protesters set up an encampment on the school's Decatur campus.
Protests have also taken place at Morehouse College and Kennesaw State University. However, no arrests have been reported in association with either of those schools.
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The Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta also held a peaceful protest this week.
Protests must remain peaceful
President Joe Biden held a brief press conference on Thursday after police officers in Los Angeles cleared out the week-old protest encampment at UCLA, where at least 132 demonstrators were detained in a dramatic overnight raid.
More than 100 people were arrested Tuesday after police in New York moved in to clear a building at Columbia University that had been occupied by protesters.
Protest encampments have formed on at least 40 major college campuses across the country.
What are the protests about?
Many of the demonstrators are calling for their schools – some of which have large endowments – to sever financial ties with Israel or Israeli-linked firms in the wake of Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.
Other demonstrators are going further, calling for a ceasefire or even an independent Palestinian state.