Pro-Palestine protesters who were arrested at Xavier University to be arraigned Monday

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the arrested protesters.

The two Pro-Palestine protesters who were arrested outside of a Xavier University graduation ceremony Saturday are scheduled for an arraignment Monday.

The protesters are a current student and a recent graduate, the university said. Court records show Julia Lankisch, 22, and Sophia Dempsey, 22, were arrested Saturday at Xavier and were released on their own recognizance the same day.

The protest occurred in front of the Cintas Center, where Xavier University's undergraduate commencement ceremony was to begin later that morning, the university said in a statement.

Dempsey and Lankisch are charged with criminal trespassing, which is considered a misdemeanor, and violating The Prohibition Against Conspiracy While Wearing Disguise statute.

The latter makes it a felony to commit a crime − even a misdemeanor − with two or more other people while wearing masks. This was emphasized in a letter Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wrote to Ohio university presidents in response to the recent pro-Palestinian protests. According to the letter, violating this law is publishable by six to 18 months in prison.

Dempsey and Lankisch will be arraigned 9 a.m. Monday in Hamilton County Municipal Court.

A small group of protesters was also present prior to the beginning of commencement at Husman Stage, the university said.

Xavier U: Arrests made after request to relocate was ignored

An account under the name of "XU Free Palestine" on X, seemingly responded to the arrests, saying the two individuals were protesting in support of Palestine, in reference to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

According to its X account, XU Free Palestine is a group of Xavier University students, unaffiliated from the university, that is "demanding a divestment from Israel."

The protesters were "peacefully protesting the university's investments in Israel and academic trips and its complicity in continuing to fund genocide," the group said in its own statement following the arrests.

According to the university's statement, the arrests occurred after the individuals ignored a request made by Xavier University police to relocate to Husman Stage, Xavier University's designated demonstration area. As a result, the protesters were arrested without incident at roughly 7:30 a.m.

"While non-violent campus demonstrations by Xavier students, faculty and staff are welcome, University policy states it may limit the time, place and manner of demonstrations to ensure disruptions to campus operations are avoided," the university said in its statement.

"As an institution, we wholeheartedly encourage the exchange of diverse ideas and viewpoints as central to the development of the whole person. Further, we are steadfast in creating an environment of Ignatian belonging, where all are encouraged to engage in peaceful assembly for the exchange of ideas," the statement reads. "As is the case every spring, the university carefully prepared for Commencement Day with the chief goal of maintaining campus safety while creating an opportunity for our students and their families to celebrate this milestone achievement."

XU Free Palestine Responds

In a statement posted to X, XU Free Palestine said, "This response to students peacefully protesting is outrageously inappropriate. By arresting these students, Xavier has failed to achieve its goal of fostering commitment to social justice and has instead taken on the goal of suppressing student voices and keeping silent in the face of genocide they contribute to with their investments in Israel."

"President Hanycz and Police Chief Warfel's complicity and involvement in the blatant attack on students' free speech is abhorrent and must be rectified," the statement reads.

The organization also made demands, including that the university divest from Israel and end all academic trips to Israel, for Police Chief Robert Warfel to resign or be fired and for "the University Faculty Committee" to hold a vote of no confidence in President Colleen Hanycz.

The Enquirer has submitted a public records request for the incident report.

The Cincinnati-based private Jesuit university is now the latest Ohio university to have been the site of a student-organized protest in support of Palestine. Other universities include Ohio State University and Miami University in Oxford.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Pro-Palestine protesters to be arraigned after arrests at XU