This image was removed due to legal reasons. Since April 3, students and community members at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University have been protesting the university’s state-approved plans to build a private police force, as well as Jo hn Hopkins’ contracts with ICE, with a sit-in at the university’s main administration building. Last week, they locked themselves inside of the building. Advertisement In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, the Baltimore Sun reported, police raided the building and arrested several of the protesters. Five protesters were arrested for trespassing, while another two were arrested for “impeding vehicle traffic,” which organizers said was a protest against the placement of a trans woman in a police van for male-identifying arrestees. Per Baltimore Beat news editor and cofounder Brandon Soderberg, the woman was eventually placed in the female-identifying van. The arrests were made a day after Hopkins president Roland Daniels and provost Sunil Kumar wrote an open letter to protesters calling the occupation of the building a “violation of criminal trespass law.” In a statement following the arrests , a Johns Hopkins spokesperson made clear that the raid had come at the university’s request, and called the sit-in a “major safety risk” that “severely disrupted university services.” In a press conference following the raid, one of the group’s organizers, Turquoise Baker, cast the protests in a different light, saying, “This is an effort to protect black, brown, queer, and marginalized people who Hopkins is actively endangering.” Advertisement The protests stemmed in part from the decision by the Democratic-controlled Maryland legislature to permit Johns Hopkins to create a 100-person private police force. “The first issue that’s addressed to us is public safety,” state Del. Cheryl Glenn of Baltimore said prior to the bill’s passage. “What people are afraid of is crime. Our crime rate is off the chains.” In addition to protesting the private police force, Hopkins organizers pushed for an end to the school’s several contracts with ICE, which as of last year totaled over $1.6 million and were all set to expire at various points this year, according to DCist. Organizers also called for justice for people killed by police in Baltimore, including Tyrone West, who was killed by Baltimore police in 2013.<doc-sep>BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A 37-day student sit-in ended with seven arrests on the Johns Hopkins University campus Wednesday. The school asked the police for help, regaining its administration building after a spokesperson said the ongoing sit-in created safety issues. The protestors reportedly declined the school’s offer for amnesty in exchange for their immediate exit. “When that demonstration turns dangerous, or creates dangerous situations, we have an obligation as a university to act. And, that’s what happened. We’re talking about doors being chained in buildings, and completely sealed,” said Jarron Jackson with Johns Hopkins University. In front of the barricades, holding a crowd of chanting students and onlookers, firefighters attempted to forcibly open the doors of Garland Hall early Wednesday morning. They finally sawed through the gates holding the front entrance shut- allowing officers to enter and arrest five protestors inside and two others outside who laid down in front of police vans. Chip Molter agreed to leave on hi sown. “I agreed to the amnesty, and the last step I felt I could do a better job telling about what I witnessed in there than go to jail,” Molter said. This is the latest clash in the more than year-long battle between some JHU students and their school. The activists do not want an armed police force on campus, and do want the University to cut ties with federal immigration authorities. “This is the moral thing to do for Baltimore and for Hopkins. They’re not listening, so of course we had to escalate,” said Rasha Anayah, a JHU student. Some of the protestors called into question the number of officers brought in to make Wednesday’s arrests. “In this instance, we gave the students a number of warnings. We gave the students full opportunity to withdraw without charge. We were very sensitive and respectful of the students,” said City Solicitor Andre Davis. A university spokesperson released a statement that said: “On May 1, a group of protesters at Johns Hopkins, including both students and outside activists, significantly escalated an ongoing month-long protest by forcing the evacuation of students and staff from Garland Hall, the university’s main administration building, and chaining shut all exterior doors.” MORE NEWS: COVID-19 In Maryland: 2.85M Marylanders Fully Vaccinated The statement continued on to say that while “the university has gone to great lengths to support protest and free expression on campus,” the protest had become “a major safety risk and severely disrupted university services.”<doc-sep>Hide Transcript Show Transcript THE SEVEN DID NOT. BALTIMORE CITY FIRE FIGHTERS BROKE THROUGH CHAINS AT GARLAND HALL ON THE CAMPUS OF JOHN’S HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TODAY. THIS IS WHERE DOZENS OF STUDENTS HAD BEEN CAMPED OUT AROUND THE CLOCK DEMANDING CHANGE. >> IT’S A FINAL PUSH TO DEMAND JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY STOP CREATION OF PRIVATE FORCE, END CONTRACTS WITH US IMMIGRATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT CUSTOMS AND PUSH FOR JUSTICE OF TYRONE WEST AND ALL VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALIT THEO: OFFICIALS SAY THE PROTEST WAS LAWFUL UNTIL STUDENTS CHANGE THE DOORS MAY ONE. TODAY BALTIMORE CITY POLICE WERE CALLED IN TO HELP BREAK IT UP. >> THIS MORNING, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO LEFT, THEY WERE PEOPLE WHO INSISTED THEY WANTED TO BE ARRESTED. NO USE OF FORCE. THEO: OFFICERS ARRESTED SEVEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO WHO LAYED DOWN IN FRONT OF A POLICE VAN. STUDENTS SAY THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK FOR CHANGE. THE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT PLANS TO MEET WITH PROTESTORS LATER THIS WEEK. >> THESE DISCUSSIONS AND CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS. AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK PRESIDENT DANIELS SET A TIME TO MEET WITH DEMONSTRATORS TO HAVE A FRUITFUL DISCUSSION WITH THEM AND MOVE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. THEO: I ASKED THE STATE’S ATTORNEYS OFFICES WHY THEY WERE NOT PROSECUTED. THEY WERE GOING TO ABATE THEIR SITUATIONS SIMILAR TO THE WAY THEY ABATED THE SITUATIONS TOURING THE FREDDIE GRAY RIOT. REPO Advertisement Protesters chained inside Johns Hopkins University removed by police State's attorney will not prosecute those arrested; Harrison says BPD used appropriate response Share Shares Copy Link Copy Seven people were arrested Wednesday after Baltimore City police removed protesters who had locked themselves inside Garland Hall at Johns Hopkins University in protest to the creation of an independent police force.Protesters began peacefully demonstrating in Garland Hall on April 3 after the creation of a private police force at Johns Hopkins University and the school's contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Starting May 1, officials said the situation escalated when student protesters and outside activists forced the evacuation of students and staff from Garland Hall, the university's main administration building, and covered all security cameras and chained shut all exterior doors. The university called in the help of the Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City Fire Department at 4:51 a.m. Wednesday to help remove the protesters.Baltimore City police arrived on campus Wednesday morning and gave protesters three warning calls from outside the building, saying that they were coming in and giving them the opportunity to leave the building without being arrested. No students left at that time.A sawing noise could be heard, possibly the sound of the chains being sawed off the doors, and police made entrance into the room and gave protesters three more warnings. One person, who was not a student, left on their own accord and was not arrested.Five people were arrested: two students, two non-students and one unconfirmed individual.Additionally, a graduate student and an undergraduate student were arrested for laying down in front of a police transport vehicle after students said a transgender student who identifies as female was being taken to a male facility. "A transwoman was housed, was jailed in the men's van and it took two cis-women getting arrested and it took all of these people screaming and it took me and others citing laws that transpeople have sat at tables with Baltimore City police," student protester Jamie Grace Alexander said. "This is an effort to protect black, brown, queer and all marginalized people Johns Hopkins is actively endangering, student Turquoise Baker said. A Police Department spokesman sent a statement to 11 News, saying: "This morning, it was brought to our attention that one of the arrestees from Johns Hopkins University was a transgender woman. The arrestee had been identified as a male by a driver's license. As soon as supervisors were made aware of the situation, we contacted the Central Booking and Intake Facility to ensure the individual was processed correctly. We are currently reviewing the incident in its entirety to determine if corrective actions are needed. The Baltimore Police Department has ongoing training to ensure officers treat all members of the community in a respectful, professional, and appropriate manner. "A university spokesperson said keeping Garland Hall locked was problematic, as the facility provides disability services, among other things.Police swept the building to make sure it was clear of any additional protesters before allowing students, staff and faculty to return to the building.JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY RESPONDS TO EVENTSThe office of the provost released the following statement:"The university has gone to extraordinary lengths to accommodate the protest in Garland Hall since it started more than a month ago, and has attempted to engage with students to find a resolution following forcible occupation of the building last week. We are unshakeable in our support of freedom of expression, which lies at the core of academic life. We had hoped to find a constructive means to resolve this increasingly dangerous situation, and we are disappointed that the decisions of the protesters necessitated a law enforcement response. We remain open to dialogue and will continue to support our students as we find ways to move forward together.”The university also released the multiple letters that were sent to protesters during their occupation of Garland Hall. STUDENTS EXPLAIN THEIR POSITION BALTIMORE POLICE EXPLAIN ARRESTSThe Baltimore Police Department released the following statement to their Facebok page:"This morning at 5:50 am, at the request of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Police officers re-opened Garland Hall, which had been chained shut by trespassers since May 1. The trespassers were offered full amnesty by the University and given the opportunity to leave without being charged.Despite repeated requests and warnings by officers, some of the trespassers chose not to leave and insisted that they be arrested. As a result, five were arrested for trespassing. Two additional individuals were arrested outside for impeding vehicular traffic. There were no injuries reported during the arrests. "The Baltimore City State's Attorney'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. ""The outcome of no force used, no complaints filed, was that we had the appropriate response," said Baltimore police Commissioner Michael Harrison. "We wanted to make sure, not only, that we could allow them to leave with total amnesty, given to them by the president of the university, but that they could exercise their first amendment rights. (We) gave them ample warning to leave, and those who told us they want to be arrested for their cause, we allowed that to happen. "The sit-in may be over, but protesters said they will continue to work for change. The university says it will meet with protesters this week.Stay with WBALTV.com and 11 News for more on this developing story.​<doc-sep>
A group of Johns Hopkins University students were arrested on Wednesday morning, about a week after they chained the doors of Garland Hall closed in protest of the university's plans to establish a private police force on campus. The sit-in at the Baltimore university began on April 3 in protest of the school's contracts with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and private police forces. About a month later, on May 1, the students chained the exterior doors shut and continued the sit-in, prompting the school to reach out to the Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore City Fire Department. Some college and university public safety departments include sworn police officers, who are able to make arrests, issue citations and operate as part of a local police force or an individual on-campus police department. A bill signed into law on April 18 granted Johns Hopkins the authority to establish a small university police department. Along with opposing the university's existing contracts with ICE, protesters adamantly fought the establishment of the university police force, largely on the basis that it could be dangerous to minority students. Ahead of the arrest, protesters chanted, "Black lives matter" and "Trans lives matter" in a video posted on Facebook. As the first officers entered, the protesters chanted, "No justice, no peace, no private police. No justice, no peace, no ICE in our streets." A total of seven protesters were arrested, representatives of the Johns Hopkins Sit-In said at a press conference, including three graduate students, one undergraduate student and three community members. "What happened this morning was a haunting premonition of what would happen if we were to have a Hopkins police force," Turquoise Baker said during a press conference. "The Hopkins administration chose not to listen to its students, instead it chose to listen to its investors. It chose to listen to its wallet. It chose to listen to everyone other than who actually matters to this institution and to this community." Johns Hopkins told Newsweek that the university is "unshakeable in our support of freedom of expression," adding that it's at the "core of academic freedom." However, the university said the recent chaining of the exterior doors violated fire code and presented a "safety and security threat." "We had hoped to find a constructive means to resolve this increasingly dangerous situation, and we are disappointed that the decisions of the protesters necessitated a law enforcement response," the university said. Hopkins President Ronald Daniels and Provost Sunil Kumar extended an invitation to meet with protesters on Sunday. The meeting did not take place, as student organizers requested more time to form a collective response. Along with a suggested minimum 48 hours advanced notice, the protesters outlined conditions for a future meeting with administrators, including academic, professional and legal amnesty for those associated with the sit-in, a publicized live audio transmission of the meeting and a neutral mediator. Moving forward, the university said it remains "open to dialogue" and will continue to support students. Erini Lambrides, a Ph.D. student, said during a press conference that she was there because she didn't want to have any "doubt" when she looked back on her life. She encouraged others to look at their own communities and hold private police forces and institutions with contracts with ICE accountable. "I don't want any doubt that when I look back and ask myself the question, 'What would I have been doing during women's suffrage? What would I have been doing during civil rights?'" Lambrides said. "I want to know, I want to know that I found a place and I found the people and I found the time to use my body in any way possible to support these causes." The protest was a joint effort from Students Against Private Police (SAPP) and the Hopkins Coalition Against ICE and identified three demands: The university to withdraw plans to create an armed JHU private police force End contracts with ICE Recognize the police murder of Tyrone West by Baltimore police officers and demand justice and accountability for Tyrone West West passed away during a traffic stop in northeast Baltimore. Officers and witnesses said he fought with police, but the family was awarded $1 million in a wrongful death suit settlement in 2017.