At least seven people were arrested Wednesday morning by Baltimore police after an on-going protest of the creation of a private police force for the campus and the university’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The private police force was given final approval by the General Assembly this legislative session. On the inside of Garland Hall, the main administration building on the Homewood campus were three non-students, one graduate student and one undergraduate student who had staged a sit-in since April 3, and had locked down the doors with chains on May 1 forcing the building’s closure. The Baltimore City Fire Department was called in to cut the locks so that police could get into the building. Police twice offered amnesty to the protesters inside—give up and come out peacefully and no charges would be filed; but if officers had to come in, charges most definitely follow. Some protesters left the building, but others stayed behind and were peacefully removed from the building by Baltimore Police officers.
Later, community activists rallied around a police van in which protesters were being loaded. One woman—laid down in front of the van in protest, because police had place a transgendered man, only identified as “Opal”--- into a van with men. After lengthy negotiations with police and commanders, she was placed in separate police vehicle for women.
John Hopkins University Office of the Provost released a statement detailing the history of the protests of the last month leading up to the Wednesday morning’s arrests.
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:
Early this morning, we made the difficult decision to call upon local fire and police personnel to help our university bring an end to the lengthy occupation of Garland Hall by students and outside activists, a situation that had become increasingly unsafe.
Over these past five weeks, the university made every effort to accommodate the underlying protest because we hold so firmly to the belief in free expression. But what began as a demonstration against university policies in recent days took a turn, as students and outside activists chained the doors closed, blocked exits and entrances to the building, harassed and intimidated our staff, and physically prevented fellow students from receiving essential services. This was no longer a peaceful show of civil disobedience, but instead a forcible occupation of a university building in contravention of the law and university code of conduct.
JHU also released a history of communications between officials and protesters over the past month. Also, the Baltimore State Prosecutor’s Office released a statement saying: "Our office will not prosecute the seven Johns Hopkins students arrested during yesterday's protest. Today all charges brought against the students will be abated by arrest."