Protesting Brown Students Arrested and Charged With Trespassing
Thursday, November 09, 2023
Brown University Public Safety arrested a group of students after a day of protesting against United States and Israel’s policies.
The arrests took place at about 5:30 PM.
The protest began about 12 noon on the main green at Brown with a group of Brown students rallying. The total number of students protesting was about 150.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA GoLocal video captured one of the speakers condemning the actions of the United States and Israel. The theme of the afternoon protest was that the two countries were guilty of genocide and that Brown University was complicit.
“Brown University must use its power and privilege to publicly condemn the genocide and demand that Senators Reed and Whitehouse support legislation calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel,” organizers of the protest said.
Further they demanded, “Until Brown heeds the multiple democratic demands to divest the endowment from Israel and the military-industrial complex, the university remains complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Maria Zuber—a board director at Textron, a weapons manufacturer—must also resign from her position as a Brown University board member."
Brown University Statement Regarding Student Arrests for Criminal Trespass
After the arrests Brown issued a statement:
The safety of our students is always our top priority. After offering students every opportunity for a different outcome, Brown issued multiple trespass warnings and ultimately moved forward in arresting approximately 20 who refused to leave a campus building where their presence after operating hours posed security concerns.
At Brown, all community members are responsible for abiding by our codes, policies and protocols related to protests and demonstrations. Those policies make clear that protest is a necessary and acceptable means of expression on campus. They also make clear that because Brown respects and upholds freedom of expression, the “time, place and manner” of exercising those rights is subject to regulation only “to prevent interference with the normal functions of the University.”
Approximately 20 students entered University Hall, the primary administrative building on campus, around 12:15 p.m. this afternoon to stage a protest in the rotunda. Staff in the building informed the students of their right to protest during the building’s operating hours as long as their activities did not raise security concerns and did not disrupt normal operations. For the area where the students were located, fire codes allow for no fixed capacity of any kind — the space is a hallway that must remain free for entry, exit and travel in the building.
Administrators with Campus Life regularly engaged with the lead student organizers – the students designated who would speak on their behalf – and explained University policies at multiple points. University staff were committed to ensuring that the students fully understood that they would not be allowed to remain in the building after normal operating hours for security reasons, and that they could face disciplinary action up to and including separation from the University for violating policies. Nearing and again after 5 p.m., the students were repeatedly informed that they would face arrest for trespass after the close of business, given security issues.
To protect the security of all community members and facilities, students cannot remain in non-residential campus buildings past the point of normal operating hours. For the students who chose to remain on site, Brown issued trespass warnings at approximately 5:25 p.m. Ultimately, following repeated warnings, the University moved forward with arrests after students were given every opportunity to avoid that outcome. Brown’s Department of Public Safety processed and arrested the students before they were transported to the Providence Police Department.
Brown has detailed procedures in place to investigate alleged conduct code violations, resolve them and implement discipline in instances when students are found responsible, and any additional disciplinary measures will be based on the outcome of those processes.
Recent events in Israel and Gaza are bringing to the forefront deeply held and often conflicting views. At Brown, we recognize our responsibility for being an educational institution that manages challenging discussions in a way that remains true to the fundamental principle of freedom of expression while emphasizing the importance of safety for all community members. Brown leaders have met with many student groups in recent weeks to listen to and address concerns, and we will continue to do so moving forward. We know that many community members are feeling the effects of these events in deep and personal ways. Our focus remains on providing care and empathy, and supporting the safety of our students, faculty and staff who are Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, Jewish, have ties to the region, and are feeling impacted by current events.
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