The events at Virginia Tech mirrored those across the country in recent days as campus officials confronted pro-Palestinian protesters demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Students have been demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights, among other things, and demanding that schools disclose or cancel investments in companies doing business with Israel.
The arrest in Blacksburg followed one made at another public institution in Virginia on Saturday. The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg announced that 12 people, including nine students, were arrested in connection with the protest for violating guidelines.
Virginia Tech said the on-campus protest began Friday morning outside the Graduate Life Center. The school said the protesters were told they were violating rules regarding the use of campus facilities.
The university said in a statement that protesters “continued to refuse to abide by the policy and took further steps to occupy the lawn of the Graduate Life Center and space next to the student center” on Sunday.
The school said it “recognized that the situation had an increasing potential to become dangerous.”
Virginia Tech said in a statement late Sunday that it “respects the freedom of speech and rights of demonstrators to be heard, but only when it protects the rights of others and public safety.”
