BLACKSBURG — A group of pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested decried Virginia Tech’s move to clear their encampment and urged the school to drop all legal charges and threats of disciplinary action against those who participated during a news conference Thursday.
It was held on the Graduate Life Center lawn – where the encampment was located.
Desiree Poets, an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Tech who was arrested on Sunday, said: “We, the faculty of Virginia Tech, demand from Virginia Tech, that they drop all charges against the peaceful protesters arrested on April 28 and 29. We additionally demand that they reinstate and that they protect students’ and faculty’s right to assembly, free speech, and protest moving forward.”
Several speakers mentioned the treatment some protesters reported, after their arrest, including being kept in handcuffs for several hours at a time, and being refused bathroom breaks.
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The arrests were largely carried out by Virginia Tech’s police force, with assistance from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Blacksburg Police Department and Virginia State Police.
After being asked about the role of the state police, a person who was not one of the speakers during the conference approached the podium to discuss what he had witnessed, but did not wish to give his name.
“I was on the other side of the grass filming the entire time, and I can confirm that a state trooper did successfully breach the line and try to assault students,” the unnamed person said. “And he did have to be held back by multiple other officers.”
Bikrum Gill, a political science professor who was also arrested on Sunday, discussed the involvement of the state police.
“The state police calls into question Virginia State,” Gill said.
Gill went on to discuss Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s response to the encampment at Virginia Tech.
On April 30, two days after the clearing of the Virginia Tech encampment, Youngkin posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying that “student and significant non-student participants” had been seen throwing projectiles at police, and refusing to comply with university policies.
Gill, during the conference, responded to this.
“There was a statement issued by Gov. Youngkin, very much in line with statements by Tim Sands, which are constantly suggesting that what is happening here is not reflective of the Virginia Tech community, that there are outside agitators coming in,” Gill said. “And what we would like to emphasize is that what this does is, it once again reproduces our Palestinian students as not a welcome part of this community.”
While speakers at the press conference made no attempt to hide their faces, many were unwilling to give their names. One of these speakers, identified as a Virginia Tech student, discussed repeated attempts made by student groups to get Tim Sands to release an official statement on the suffering of Palestinians following Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks.
According to the student, during a meeting with administrators on Nov. 15 Sands deferred to donors when asked why he would not make a statement along the lines of what the group was requesting.
“So that was, in the only meeting we had with him back in November, we were just requesting a statement to equally recognize the immense loss of life in Gaza like he did after Oct. 7, for Israel,” the speaker said. “and we were met with, and I quote from him, ‘The donors will be upset with that.’”
Speakers at the conference went on to claim that, while different pro-Palestinian groups had tried several times to meet again with Sands, he refused, and that when his presence was requested at the encampment, he informed them he had already heard what they had to say, referring to his meeting on Nov. 15.
In a statement Monday, Sands included this:
“Today I am troubled by the divisions in our community, as we find ourselves faced with challenges and conflicts that are painful, difficult to manage, and nearly impossible to communicate about when emotions are high.
Last night, 82 protesters (largely students) were arrested for trespassing after occupying the Graduate Life Center lawn for three days and repeatedly refusing to comply with university policy and public safety regulations. While I am grateful the incident was resolved peacefully by Virginia Tech Police, I was saddened by the way our officers were treated. I am also deeply disappointed to see members of our community choose uncivil and unlawful behavior over purposeful engagement in difficult conversations and robust debate that should be part of the Virginia Tech experience.
Virginia Tech strongly supports free speech, even when the content of that speech may be disagreeable to some. However, those rights do not extend beyond the point where they interfere with the rights of others, violate our policies, the Code of Virginia, or federal laws and/or create a threat to safety for others.”
When asked what specific disciplinary action the university might take, speakers at the news conference Thursday said that they did not wish to comment at this time.
Emon Green, a senior, said that he felt there was a disconnect between what was happening at the encampment, and what university administrators have suggested, further implying that the university misled the protesters.
“Administration, on that day [April 28] at 5:30, told us that the reason we were allowed to stay was in order for our voices to be heard, all the while, they came for the express reason of suppressing us, and telling us to leave,” Green said. “You see the inconsistency there.”