April 27, 2024
| Dear parents and families, This message was sent to students from university leaders a short time ago. —————- Dear students, faculty, and staff, Today a large group of individuals entered the Danforth Campus with the intention of causing a significant disruption to the university. The group, which included WashU students and employees, marched to multiple campus locations, pitched tents, and indicated that they did not intend to leave. They also put out a call for more people, including those not affiliated with the university, to come to campus to join their demonstration. It quickly became clear through the words and actions of this group that they did not have good intentions on our campus. We also felt strongly that this demonstration had the potential to get out of control and become dangerous. When the group began to set up a camp on the east end of campus in violation of university policy, we made the decision to tell everyone present that they needed to leave. Any individuals who refused to leave after being asked multiple times were arrested. WUPD is still processing arrests at this time, so we do not have definite numbers to share, but we know that more than 80 people, including members of our university community, were arrested as a result of this incident. All will face charges of trespassing and some may also be charged with resisting arrest and assault, including for injuries to police officers. We are taking this matter very seriously. For those who are students, we also have initiated the university student conduct process. As Chancellor Martin has stated clearly to our community on numerous occasions, we are firmly committed to free expression and allow ample opportunity for voices to be heard on our campus. However, we expect everyone to respect our policies. No one has the right to disrupt the ability of people in our community to learn and work. Those who choose to do so and violate our community’s policies will be subject to swift action. We will enforce our policies to their fullest extent. At this time, Danforth Campus buildings are accessible only by swiping a university ID card. We will continue to share updates online as new information becomes available. We know this has been a difficult and stressful day for many in our community. Please utilize the resources available to students and employees if you need support. Sincerely, Anna “Dr. G” Gonzalez Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Nichol L. Luoma Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Administrative Officer Beverly Wendland Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs |