At least 12 people — including several University of Mary Washington students — were arrested Saturday evening as police from descended upon an encampment in Jefferson Square that was previously disbanded on Friday night.
However, students from the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine organization re-staked their tents on Saturday afternoon, and at 5:39 p.m., SJP president Amirah Ahmed sent a Free Press reporter a two-word text message: “they’re arresting.”
An Instagram live feed from UMW’s SJP showed at least three students being led away from the square in handcuffs by UMW Police officers, while a mix of students, faculty and community members looked on. Troopers from the Virginia State Police were also on the scene.
Kaylah Lightfoot, a member of UMW’s chapter of the NAACP as well as the SJP, said all 12 arrested were UMW students who had formed a circle in defiance of the administration’s orders to vacate. They were charged with trespassing and transported to the Rappahannock Regional Jail, where several have since been released on their own recognizance.
After the encampment was cleared out, law enforcement was seen combing through tents. Dr. Juliette Landphair, UMW’s Director of Student Affairs, was also present.
A document obtained by the Free Press outlined UMW’s stance on the encampment, which was erected Friday morning. The bullet-pointed document reads, “In order to support our goal of providing a secure environment to the campus community, encampments are prohibited… ‘Encampment’ includes any and all tents.”
In response, members of UMW’s faculty began circulating an online petition supporting students’ peaceful right to protest. In the petition, the faculty members wrote that they believed the UMW administration’s order to take down the encampment was “based on a series of regulations that we believe unnecessarily restrict Mary Washington’s students’ freedom of assembly and speech.”
As of Saturday evening approximately two hours following the arrests, it had been signed by nearly 100 UMW students, alumni and faculty. Lightfoot noted that, for the students who were arrested, the ordeal will not end with release.
“For them to go back to the same campus will be heavy,” Lightfoot said. “Their experience will never be the same.”
Update, 9:30 p.m.: The University of Mary Washington has issued a statement, through its President, Dr. Troy Paino. The statement is published below in full.
UMW Campus Community,
I am writing to follow up on this weekend’s encampment on Jefferson Square that started Friday, April 26.
The event organizers were welcome to demonstrate and protest following UMW’s policy on Expressive Activity By Members of the University Community, which supports the right of individual students, student organizations, faculty, and staff to dissent and to demonstrate, providing such activities do not disrupt normal campus operations, obstruct free access to University buildings, or unreasonably infringe upon the rights of others.
Attendees were told on Friday afternoon that they could stay through the duration of the event as long as they adhered to University policies, as well as state laws and regulations. As the event evolved and an invitation extended the encampment to the public to stay on campus, additional safety and security concerns emerged. A threat assessment took into account several data points and voices resulting in additional safety guidelines communicated to the event organizers Friday afternoon. Considering all of these factors, the encampment was prohibited, and the tents were not permitted.
Once the tents were taken down by participants as requested Friday at 8:30 p.m., the peaceful protest continued through the night and on Saturday. During the day on Saturday, health and safety concerns began to emerge from the event as well as increased concerns for campus community members, as outside influence was further invited to campus to grow the encampment.
The tents were put back up on Saturday afternoon, against the guidelines provided. On Saturday evening, the event was canceled and attendees were instructed to leave the area. After some time, 12 individuals remained in Jefferson Square and were arrested for trespassing, including 9 students.
We remain committed to working with our campus community members to facilitate peaceful expression, and we welcome individuals and families to our campus for public events, including demonstrations, when those activities abide by policies and regulations. Events that do not follow instructions, attempt to disrupt classes or activities, or endanger the health, safety, and security of our campus community will not be allowed.
We are mindful that we are in the midst of reading days and heading into exam week. We do not seek punitive action toward our students with the end of the semester and commencement so close. We will be continuing this conversation, extending grace and understanding, and bringing the resources together to help us all heal.
We appreciate the work of our campus community to reset following the weekend’s events and to be ready for exam week in full support of our students’ academic endeavors and the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. For those who seek additional resources, the Talley Center for Counseling Services has many resources available online. UMW students also have on-demand, free access to mental health services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via TimelyCare, accessed online via a web browser or app. Go to timelycare.com/umw or download the TimelyCare app to access care, and note you’ll use “umw.edu” (not “mail.umw.edu”) as the end of your email address to log in. For faculty and staff, information about the Employee Assistance Program, which is available at no cost with state employee health insurance plans, may be accessed through the Human Resources website. If anyone has any concerns about their safety, you can contact UMW Police: (540) 654-1025 (non-emergency); in an emergency – dial 4444 from any campus phone or dial (540) 654-4444 on your phone.
Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D.
President
Attendee panel closed
