Four Vanderbilt University students were arrested and charged on Wednesday following a pro-Palestine sit-in event which saw students breach Kirkland Hall and assault a community service officer.
On Tuesday, March 26 at 9:00 a.m., 27 undergraduate students from the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition breached Kirkland Hall, which was closed for construction at the time, for the sit-in.
Video footage released by the university shows students forcibly entering the building and pushing the community service officer who was attempting to block the students from entering.
The sit-in officially ended Wednesday morning just after 6:00 a.m.
Three students were charged by the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Magistrate’s Office with Class A misdemeanor assault for pushing the officer and a staff member who offered to meet with the students as they entered Kirkland Hall on Tuesday.
A fourth student was also charged with vandalism after breaking a window in the building’s exterior Tuesday evening.
In addition, all students who breached the building will be placed on interim suspension, according to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.
Nashville Scene reporter Eli Motycka was also arrested on Tuesday for “making repeated attempts to enter several locked doors that were clearly marked as such and being asked to leave,” according to the chancellor.
The reporter has since been released and is not facing any charges.
Chancellor Diermeier said “free expression” and “civil discourse” are “core values” at Vanderbilt, as the university’s policies allow for “peaceful demonstrations,” however, went on to note how action will be taken when policies are violated, campus safety is jeopardized, or when intimidation or injury occurs.
“In consideration of safety and the university’s normal operations, we, as a matter of policy, define the 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, when the safety of our campus is jeopardized and when people intimidate or injure members of our community,” Diermeier said.
“A university community, by definition, will rarely be in full agreement on any issue. The challenge is to move forward together despite our differences, based on our shared values and common purpose. This is what we must do—and what we shall do in the days to come,” the chancellor added.
Tuesday’s sit-in was organized by pro-Palestine students who are demanding that the university allow students to vote on an amendment to the Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) Constitution to prevent VSG funds from being spent on entities disapproved by the the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, according to the school’s student newspaper, The Vanderbilt Hustler.
The BDS movement is a Palestinian-led group that promotes boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Vanderbilt Students’ Sit-In” by Vanderbilt Divest Coalition.
You can see how very stupid this group is by their masks.
I would bet my house not one of these students know the history of the Muslim-Jewish conflict.
Every one of these students support “gay rights” but are silent about the fact that Muslims murder gays as soon as they get their hands on them.
Every one of these students support the rights of women, but here they are supporting the Muslims who enslave their women.
Every one of these students cry for freedom, while supporting a regime that recognizes no freedom for anyone.
Every one of these stupid, dangerous clowns should be prosecuted.
They are nothing but America’s Red Guard.
Good
But who cares
They are unimportant ignorant propagandized Marxists who hate America. They should spend their energy on the front lines. No one is stopping them from joining Hamas in the war against Israel. Then they would get a real education.