25 arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ( DC News Now ) — The University of Virginia (UVA) said 25 demonstrators were arrested at a pro-Palestinian encampment on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday marked day five of the ongoing protests at UVA’s campus in Charlottesville, Va. In a press release, UVA outlined the events leading up to the arrests.

At 8 a.m., UVA Chief of Police Tim Longo said the group of demonstrators had 15 minutes to remove their tents, or they would be taken by UVA Facilities Management. Officials began collecting tents at 8:15 a.m. and were met with resistance and chanting from demonstrators.

At about 11:45 a.m., the University Police Department (UPD) announced again that the demonstrators were violating UVA’s policies and gave them 10 minutes to leave.

They were met with “agitation, chanting and violent gestures such as swinging of objects,” UVA said in a statement.

Starting at 2:30 p.m., UPD gave demonstrators three verbal warnings that an unlawful assembly would be declared if demonstrators did not leave. Virginia State Police were called in to enforce the declaration at about 2:45 p.m.

UVA said 25 people were arrested for trespassing and taken to Albermarle County Regional Jail.

In a letter sent to those participating in UVA’s “Liberation Zone” for Gaza, Kenyon Bonner, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, and Brie Gertler, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, stated, in part:

Your request for permanent withdrawal from academic relations with Israeli institutions is not one we can support, for a number of reasons, including that academic freedom is central to the life of our University. To terminate study abroad-programs, fellowships, research collaborations, and other collaborations with Israeli academic institutions would compromise our commitment to academic freedom and our obligation to enabling the free exchange of ideas on our Grounds, both of which are bedrock values of the University.

We agree with your final request regarding allowing students, faculty, and staff to express their support for Palestine without the risk of administrative discipline, provided of course that such expressive activity occurs within the limits of the laws and policies we have in place. The University is required by the Constitution and our own values to uphold the rights of free speech and free expression. We do, however, enforce reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of expressive activities, so as to assure the safety of our community and to avoid disruption to University life or the rights of others. We appreciate your cooperation with our requests to follow University policies, which has enabled us to ensure that your protest can proceed safely and that your voices are heard.

Kenyon Bonner, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer and Brie Gertler, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Virginia

Participants began a peaceful public demonstration on UVA grounds on Tuesday, April 30. In a letter to the UVA community, the university’s president Jim Ryan said demonstrators were complying with university policies until Friday night.

One policy they violated, Ryan said, was the university’s prohibition on pitching tents without a permit. Brian Cory, a university spokesman, said that UVA has had the prohibition since 2023.

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