BLACKSBURG, Va. – Late Sunday night, protestors on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus were arrested for trespassing after Virginia Tech officials said in a statement protesters refused to comply with their policy.
The school’s policy states any person using a university facility who engages in unlawful or disruptive conduct, or violates the university’s policy may be asked to leave the property.
It goes on to state failure to comply can result in being trespassed and arrested.
In their statement, they said the gathering, which started on Friday, April 26, was not compliant with their university’s facilities usage and events policy.
On Sunday, protestors went from occupying the Graduate Life Center to outdoor spaces near Squires Student Center as well.
The university’s statement states given those actions; they believed the situation had the potential to become unsafe.
Those protesting were then advised to remove their possessions and to disperse.
Those who refused would be charged with trespassing. At 10:15 p.m. Sunday, police started arresting protesters.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. Monday, Virginia Tech officials sent out a message to the community letting them know the incident had been stabilized.
In a statement from the university’s president Tim Sands, he said that while Virginia Tech strongly supports free speech, those rights do not extend beyond the point where they violate campus policies.