In a message sent to the Emory community, Vice President for Public Safety Cheryl Elliott said 28 people were arrested, including 20 Emory community members, during a protest at the school on Thursday.
“At 7:41 a.m. a few dozen protestors arrived on campus. When they arrived, these individuals ignored and pushed past EPD officers stationed on the Quad and set up tents in an area where equipment and materials were staged for Commencement,” Elliott said in her message.
Elliott said that multiple dispersal orders were issued to the encampment telling them to leave because they were trespassing.
“When those requests were ignored, Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol officers assisted EPD with dispersing the crowd and taking individuals into custody for criminal trespass,” she added.
In a release, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) said they deployed a taser on one individual who actively resisted arrest when protesters were throwing bottles at officers and refusing to disperse. Elliott said that person was not a member of the Emory community.
“During the encampment protest response, Troopers deployed pepper balls to control the unruly crowd but did not use tear gas,” GSP added.
