- The five who were arrested at Florida State University have all been handed one-year bans from campus.
- They were arrested for putting up tents after campus police had warned them it was against campus policy.
- Two of them are current FSU students who are both set to graduate during the ban — meaning they will not be able to walk during their ceremony.
- Watch now to hear from one student who explains why the group continued with pitching tents Tuesday.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Graduation plans up in the air for some pro-Palestine students.
I'm Alberto Camargo, your neighborhood reporter in College Town.
Of the five arrests made at Florida State University Tuesday — some of them were students who now face the possibility of not walking the stage.
I'm finding out what led to their decisions and where they go from here.
I checked with FSU officials — they say that all five who were arrested are banned from campus for one year.
This comes after tents were pitched on campus Tuesday — which the group had been told was against campus policy.
FSU also confirmed to me that two of the five are current students.
"If I had to take an extra class I couldn't go to that class in person, I can't attend a football game after I graduate."
One of them is Elijah Ruby.
He is set to graduate in the summer, but Ruby says he has now missed a final exam due to the ban and will likely fail the class.
In a statement Tuesday, an FSU spokesperson said, "anyone who was arrested Tuesday made a conscious choice to engage in unlawful conduct. Tuesday's arrests occurred after the individuals ignored multiple requests and warnings to comply with a lawful order.
Ruby and the others were aware of the risk involved.
So I asked him, "If the group knew about the rule against tents on campus, what went behind the decision to put them up anyways?"
"Out of solidarity with the protestors who were brutalized at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida — and around the country, but especially in Florida."
With the campus ban in place, the group had to move off campus to Lake Elberta Park to address where the group goes from here.
In a statement Tuesday, FSU said, "The university's rules and regulations had been explained repeatedly over several days and the group had been compliant until Tuesday afternoon."
The pro-Palestine group is still demanding that FSU disclose any investments and ties with Israel and divest.
In College Town, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
