An updated statement from Emory University revealed that several dozen protesters trespassed onto the campus on Thursday morning to set up tents on the school's quad. The activists, who were not recognized as members of the university community, disrupted the campus as students were finishing classes and preparing for finals.
Subsequently, members of the Emory community joined the initial group of protesters. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with police at the Georgia university, leading to the use of pepper spray and pepper balls by law enforcement to disperse the crowd.
The university spokesperson stated that after being notified by the Emory Police Department that they were trespassing, a couple dozen individuals refused to leave and were subsequently taken into custody. While reports indicated that at least two professors were among those arrested during the protest, the university declined to disclose the exact number of individuals detained or the charges filed against them.