The College Fix

UPDATED

Pro-Palestinian students who stormed Pomona College president’s office were arrested and booked by riot-gear-wearing police on Friday, the Claremont Courier reported.

“Nineteen were charged with misdemeanor trespassing after allegedly refusing to leave Alexander Hall. An additional protester was charged with misdemeanor delaying or obstructing a law enforcement officer after allegedly refusing to clear a path for officers. … All were booked at Claremont Police Department jail and released with citations to appear in Pomona Superior Court,” the Courier reported.

Prior to their arrest, the students “verbally harass[ed] staff, even using a sickening, anti-black racial slur in addressing an administrator. This is part of an escalating series of incidents on our campus, which has included persistent harassment of visitors for admission tours,” according to a memo published Friday by President Gabrielle Starr.

The students have also been suspended, Starr’s memo stated: “Any participants in today’s events on the SCC lawn or in Alexander Hall, who turn out to be Pomona students, are subject to immediate suspension. Students from the other Claremont Colleges will be banned from Pomona’s campus and subject to discipline on their own campuses.”

“These actions are actively destructive of the values that underpin our community,” she wrote. “…There is absolutely no excuse for this harassment; and there is no excuse for refusal to identify yourself on our campus. Students then, under false pretenses, entered Alexander Hall, and are occupying my office.”

The protesters were furious that campus officials were removing a pro-Palestinian wall ahead of a campus event, the memo stated: “In preparation for events scheduled on Sunday, and in line with our policy, campus staff began to remove the signs and other material that remained. They informed the individuals present that they could move their own material or it would be stored for pickup.”

Videos of Starr demanding the protesters leave or they will be arrested were posted on X. Starr then followed through on her threat.

When Pomona College students (and possibly others) rushed into an administrative building last night, President Gabi Starr told them they had 10 minutes to leave.

Then she suspended them and had them arrested.

(Warning: language) pic.twitter.com/aCaSSIsRAA

— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) April 6, 2024

“In the first video, you can see Starr telling the protesters that they had 10 minutes to vacate the premises. As expected, the mob of Hamas supporters thought she was bluffing and refused to leave. Why would they think any different, given the lack of enforcement at other colleges? But then something incredible happened: Consequences,” Red State reported.

“As the second video shows, the police showed up in riot gear and arrested every single protester inside the building. Starr wasn’t done, though. She then immediately put out a decree suspending every student who attended the protest (both inside and outside in the courtyard), while all non-students were subsequently banned from campus.”

Student leaders objected to the immediate suspensions of their peers without apparent due process, the Student Life campus newspaper reported.

But Starr stated in a follow-up memo April 6 that although the students have been barred from campus, Pomona will provide support for housing to students with financial need, and administrators will still follow the proper disciplinary procedures, the Student Life reported.

Editor’s note: Updated to include information about disciplinary actions against students.

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