11:11 am ET, April 30, 2024
Cal Poly Humboldt says police have cleared the occupied buildings and “restored order” since last week
From CNN's Rachel Ramirez
Law enforcement arrested about 35 people at California State Polytechnic University's Humboldt campus in Northern California early Tuesday, clearing buildings occupied since last week and “restoring order,” according to an update from the university.
Two buildings, Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, were occupied by protesters and the college recently closed its doors for the rest of the semester amid growing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
At the time of the arrest, the university, known as Cal Poly Humboldt, issued a stay-at-home order for students living on campus and urged people living off campus to stay off campus due to “persistent criminal activity.”
According to an update from the university, those arrested face charges of unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assaulting police officers and more. Also, the university said students will face disciplinary action and staff will face disciplinary action for conduct violations.
“The event is not free expression or protest,” the university wrote Website. “It was a criminal act, and there were serious concerns that it would spread further on campus.”
Before the arrests, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California urged the Cal Poly Humboldt administration to refrain from involving law enforcement in campus protests and instead “use every tool available to peacefully reach a resolution with students.” Soldani, executive director of the ACLU of Northern California, said in a Report.
The campus closure will remain in place until May 10 as law enforcement continues to monitor the situation, the university said.
“It's a difficult day, and it breaks my heart to see it, and nobody really wants to see it,” Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr. said in a statement. “Unfortunately, serious crimes have crossed the line. The line crossed a protest level and continued to put the campus at risk. I commend the efforts of the law enforcement team in resolving this extremely dangerous situation.”
