UGA police arrest protesters against Israel after they refuse to relocate on campus

A protest on the University of Georgia campus early Monday in support of Palestinians in the latest war between Israel and Hamas ended with the arrests of at least 15 people.

The arrests were made after the participants refused to relocate their activities to designated areas on campus and were told the tents and barricades they erected had to be removed, according to a statement from UGA. A large number of Athens-Clarke police were also on site assisting by providing transport to the jail.

Those arrested were booked into the Athens-Clarke County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of trespassing and remaining on property after a notice was given to move. Bond was set at $20 each.

However, a 20-year-old Macon man remained in jail with bond set at $1,500. Some of those arrested had Athens addresses, but the others were from out of town ranging from Duluth, Decatur, Marietta and Kennesaw.

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The arrests at UGA follow a pattern of unrest at college campuses throughout the nation in which students have been arrested in demonstrations against Israel, according to a report Monday in USA Today. In Georgia, protesters were arrested April 25 at Emory University, and protests at such colleges as Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas have also resulted in confrontations between police and protesters.

The UGA demonstration group, called "Students for Justice of Palestine," began erecting tents and barricades around 7 a.m. that university officials said blocked the sidewalk. The group set up near the Administration Building, which houses the President’s Office and is near downtown Athens.

“This morning’s encampment on the North Campus Quad crossed a line and violated our policies,” UGA spokesman Greg Trevor said in a release he sent to recipients across campus.

“Protesters were advised repeatedly, for more than an hour, that the tents and barricades they had put in place had to be removed and that they must comply with applicable policies,” he said.

The protesters were also advised by Student Affairs they could make a reservation and relocate to one of the designated forums, according to the statement. Designated areas include places such as the plaza at the Tate Student Center.

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After the warnings were given, officials said UGA police made a decision at 8:30 a.m. to make the arrests.

“Any students, faculty or staff members arrested could also face further disciplinary action by the University,” according to Trevor.

UGA also issued a warning with the statement: “Let us make it abundantly clear that while the University of Georgia  staunchly supports freedom of expression, we will not cede control of our campus to groups that refuse to abide by university policy and threaten the safety of those who live, work and study here.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Protest at UGA against Israel ends with arrests of dozen people