COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University officials said two students were arrested by university police Tuesday during a pro-Palestinian protest on campus.

What You Need To Know

  • Two students were arrested during a protest at The Ohio State University Tuesday, officials said

  • In a statement, a spokesperson said university policy prohibits disrupting the university mission, administrative functions and campus activities

  • OSU officials say they're grateful that protests have not escalated to levels seen recently by other universities

In a statement sent to Spectrum News 1, a spokesperson said university policy prohibits the disruption of the university mission, administrative functions and campus activities. It claims the university had issued multiple warnings after Tuesday's demonstration had become disruptive to those inside Meiling Hall.

"When the disruptive activity continued, two individuals were arrested," the statement said. "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."

The protest had been organized by several groups on campus. One of the students arrested is a member of the organization Ohio Youth for Climate Justice, according to that group's co-founder, Isabella Guinigundo, who said the protest was scheduled and that demonstrators had complied with the university's orders, including to not have amplified sound.

The demonstrators marched to Meiling Hall, and then organizers say the police informed them they were disrupting activies inside the building.

"They told us we could chant outside," Guinigundo said. "But as the event went on they seemed increasingly upset at us for for chanting outside."

The other student who was arrested is a member of Students for Justice in Palestine at the university, according to Guinigundo.

Benjamin Johnson, assistant vice president of media and public relations at OSU, said the arrests did not stem from security concerns.

"So the space rules lay out how loud you can be, they lay out, you know, when you are disrupting the ordinary business at the university," Johnson said. "And that's what happened."

OSU officials say they're grateful the protests have not escalated to levels seen recently by other universities across the country.

According to a social media post from the Students for Justice in Palestine OSU and other groups, there is another protest scheduled on campus for Thursday at the Ohio Union.

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