Student sit-in at Vanderbilt over Israel-divestment vote ends Wednesday, students arrested

Protests by students on Vanderbilt University’s campus lasted into early Wednesday morning, after a sit-in at an administration building that began Tuesday resulted in the arrest of four students and the removal of many more.

Vanderbilt University students began protesting Tuesday after an amendment to the Vanderbilt Student Government Constitution, which would prevent student government funds from going to certain businesses that support Israel, was removed by administration officials from a student ballot in late March.

More than two dozen students entered the halls of Kirkland Hall, which houses Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier’s office, to hold a sit-in around 9 a.m. Tuesday, along with over 30 more students who sat on the steps outside.

Three students who sat in the Chancellor's office were arrested for assault and bodily injury to another, according to The Hustler, Vanderbilt's student news organization, though online jail records do not currently list any charges.

A fourth student was charged with vandalism after breaking a window on Kirkland Hall Tuesday night, according to a statement from Vanderbilt University.

All four students have been released.

Sam Schulman, a sophomore at Vanderbilt University and member of the protesting group, told The Tennessean that while inside, students were denied access to the building’s restrooms, forcing them to urinate in water bottles.

Also according to Schulman, all protestors inside the building have been sent an interim suspension letter by the university, which bars them from reentering the campus pending an investigation.

More: Vanderbilt faces backlash after pulling Israel-divestment vote from student ballot

In a statement on Tuesday, the university stated that Student Affairs attempted to “deescalate the situation” after the student’s had “breached” the building, pushing a staff member out of the doorway.

The university released on its YouTube page a video of the students pushing their way into the building.

“Student Affairs staff took a graduated approach to de-escalate the situation,” the statement said. “First, they asked students to leave. After the students refused to leave, staff made them aware their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action. After several hours, the university began issuing interim suspensions. Students on interim suspension must leave campus immediately and may not return until further notice, pending the Student Affairs review process.”

University officials stated that students "left (the Chancellor's office) voluntarily."

During Tuesday’s protests, a reporter with the Nashville Scene was detained and removed from the campus while reporting on the activity. Local media were warned not to enter Kirkland Hall, but in a video posted to social media, the reporter said he wasn't warned about staying off campus.

He was later released without charges.

In an updated statement on Wednesday, university officials said that due to the protest "not being a peaceful one," the Vanderbilt University Police Department was "on high alert."

"(The protest) began with the assault of a Vanderbilt community service officer and continued with protesters physically pushing Vanderbilt staff members with the hope of entering and occupying the chancellor’s office," university officials said.

The statement added that it has "long been the practice" of the university to "grant access to members of the media who request and receive clearance to be on campus."

The incident has brought large pushback from the Nashville community, including from The Future of Free Speech project, a nonpartisan think tank located at Vanderbilt University.

"We do not condone the use of violence or trespassing as a protected form of protest and would encourage students to demonstrate peacefully in accordance with Vanderbilt’s policy,” said Jacob Mchangama, the organization's Executive Director. “However, arresting an independent local reporter covering the protest, regardless of his alleged attempts to enter a building without authorization, was a disproportionate response that failed to live up to Vanderbilt’s commitment to free expression and First Amendment ideals."

The USA Today Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Student sit-in at Vanderbilt over Israel-divestment vote ends Wednesday, students arrested