Several Ohio University students appeared in court Monday morning with red patches on their chests, symbolizing support and solidarity for the four protesters who had been arrested following an act of civil disobedience.
Each accused student approached Judge William Grim of the Athens County Municipal Court to answer questions regarding the disruption charges they received after protesting a tuition hike at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
Eden Almasude, a second-year graduate student studying African Studies; Megan Marzec, a sophomore studying studio art; Ellie Hamrick, a senior studying anthropology; and Jessica Lindner, a sophomore studying environmental and plant biology all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The four were arrested for violating the Ohio Revised Code 2917.12, which prohibits people from obstructing or interfering with a lawful meeting.
The students were released on their own recognizance and told to act as law-abiding citizens, Grim said. Their pre-trial is set for 8 a.m. on May 7.
Members of the OU Student Union and the four students walked out of the courtroom, already planning for the next demonstration at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Civil War monument on College Green.
Protesters will demand salary freezes on administrators and athletic coaches who make more than $100,000, ask for the tuition increase to foster diversity and marginalized students, and request all charges against the four students who were arrested be dropped.
Despite the arrests, Almasude said she hopes students voice their opinions at Thursday’s protest.
“Students have to take bold actions and feel empowered,” she said.
The OU Student Union had raised $1,112.14 as of Monday to help cover the legal costs of those arrested.
Hamrick and Almasude both said they were surprised by the amount of donations.
“I was really overwhelmed by the amount of support we got,” Almasude said. “It’s great to know that people are behind the cause and show others they need to speak out.”
However, Hamrick said she was not surprised that the trustees passed all resolutions after the protesters’ arrests Friday — including the tuition increase she had been protesting.
“I was outraged,” she said. “This year, we have people standing up for students and making a difference.”
After the OU Student Union’s “Raise Hell, Not Tuition” rally Tuesday and the Board of Trustees protest Friday, Jacob Chaffin, spokesperson for OU Student Union, said law enforcement officials would most likely be present at Thursday’s protest.
“We’re expecting them, and they’re expecting us,” he said.
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