COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Ohio State students were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing during a protest on campus on Tuesday.
University officials said the students were arrested during a demonstration at Meiling Hall.
The university could not confirm what the demonstration was about, but there was a flyer on social media for “The People’s Board Meeting” rally that was set to take place during the Board of Trustees meeting. The rally was in support of Palestine in the Israel-Hamas war.
Court records state that the two students were told by Ohio State police multiple times to leave and refused. They were then taken into custody.
Approximately 50 people were gathered outside the building.
In a statement issued to 10TV, an Ohio State spokesperson said the university has an "unwavering commitment to freedom of speech" but the actions taken by the two students Tuesday went against "well established university policy" against disrupting campus life.
The students are expected to appear in Franklin County Municipal Court on Wednesday.
Below is the full statement from Ohio State on Tuesday's events.
“Well-established university policy prohibits disrupting the university’s mission, administrative functions and campus-life activities. This includes demonstrations that disrupt classroom and administrative buildings. When today’s demonstration became disruptive to the students, faculty and staff in Meiling Hall, the university issued multiple warnings. When the disruptive activity continued, two individuals were arrested. Ohio State has an unwavering commitment to freedom of speech and took this action in alignment with our space use rules to provide for the orderly conduct of university business.”