NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Four Vanderbilt University students were arrested Tuesday after they forced their way past a community service officer to enter the school’s administration building as part of a planned sit-in protest.
Video released by Vanderbilt shows the officer opening the door to Kirkland Hall and speaking with the students. Seconds later, one student pulls open the door as the officer tries to shut it.
That’s when the students begin pushing past the security guard – despite an effort to stop them.
The Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Magistrate’s Office has charged three students with Class A misdemeanor assault after pushing the officer and a staff member who offered to meet with them as they entered Kirkland Hall on Tuesday, Vanderbilt said. A fourth student has been charged with vandalism after breaking a window on the building’s exterior Tuesday night. All protesters who breached the building will be placed on interim suspension.
Meanwhile, a reporter, who was detained outside the building after making repeated attempts to enter several locked doors and being asked to leave, was later released and not charged, Vanderbilt said.
All students remaining inside Kirkland Hall left voluntarily Wednesday morning. Later, another group of students gathered outside the building.
“The university will work with them to ensure they can remain consistent with the university’s policies for peaceful demonstration,” the university said in a statement. “Free expression is a core value at Vanderbilt, as is civil discourse. Our policies allow for members of the Vanderbilt community to protest and demonstrate regarding issues they care deeply about. Dozens of peaceful demonstrations have occurred over the past several months. In consideration of safety and the university’s normal operations, we, as a matter of policy, define time, place and manner limitations. The safety and well-being of our community is a top priority. The university will take action when our policies are violated, the safety of our campus is jeopardized and when people intimidate or injure members of our community.”
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