Dayton law enforcement used riot gear to disperse a large crowd on the campus of the University of Dayton (UD) campus that formed Tuesday night after the school announced earlier that day it will temporarily suspend in-person classes.
In total, the school canceled three days’ worth of classes before their regularly scheduled Spring Break, which begins Friday. UD also asked students who lived on-campus to leave by 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Upon the conclusion of Spring Break on March 23, classes will resume on a remote-learning basis for an additional two weeks.
Currently, UD does not have any confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
“The University is committed to protecting the health and safety of our campus community. The steps we are taking are at the recommendation of the state of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health and Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County are in the best interest of UD and the surrounding community,” the Catholic college said.
After the news broke, around 1,000 students gathered on Lowes Street. When asked to disperse by local law enforcement, the crowd refused, according to the Dayton Daily News.
A statement released by UD to the school student newspaper The Flyer about the incident said when the students started to form around 11 p.m., they started to throw “objects and bottles in the street and at police.” In addition, students were seen jumping on top of cars, according to the school.
“Police initially launched pepper balls, which contain powder with an irritant that disperses quickly, that were unsuccessful in reducing the crowd size,” UD said. “About 2:15 a.m., UD police and additional Dayton police again gave orders to disperse and moved to clear the street, which was effective in dispersing the crowd quickly. At least one person was reportedly injured by a thrown bottle.”
Updated statement from university officials pic.twitter.com/aqmBCTmeq9
— Flyer News (@FlyerNews) March 11, 2020
UD students gathered in large crowds on Lowes Street in the South Student Neighborhood Tuesday night in reaction to the news that university housing would close Wednesday for most students due to the spread of the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/82XL9uCR04
— Flyer News (@FlyerNews) March 11, 2020
We are alive and well. Go Flyers. pic.twitter.com/PcrvWEEMpV
— Grant Kelly (@GrantKelly07) March 11, 2020
We've got a photo showing that students had blocked Lowes Street pic.twitter.com/SfcNtvWnF2
— Flyer News (@FlyerNews) March 11, 2020
https://twitter.com/thedayisoverr/status/1237672413690822657
According to The Flyer, these students were treating the event as “a potential last party of the semester.”
Students were treating it as a potential last party of the semester.
— Flyer News (@FlyerNews) March 11, 2020
The Dayton Daily News said that glass and debris on Lowes Street had been cleared up by Wednesday morning.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Dayton Students and Local Law Enforcement” by The Flyer.
