Ohio State president says protest arrests were necessary for safety; prosecutor still deciding whether to pursue cases

Watch a previous report on the protest arrests in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As about 20 people facing criminal charges after protesting Israel's war in Gaza on Ohio State University's campus were due in court Monday morning, Ohio State's president stood behind the arrests and the city attorney's office said it was still deciding whether to move forward with prosecutions.

More than half of the three dozen pro-Palestine protesters arrested for staging an encampment on Ohio State's South Oval were slated for arraignments Monday morning. Attorneys for the protesters, each charged with criminal trespassing, asked that the arraignments be continued until June, according to the Columbus city attorney's office.

In his first public statement about the arrests published Monday morning, Ohio State President Ted Carter again referred to his decades-long military career and commitment to free speech, as he has repeatedly when asked about on-campus protests. But the university's decision to arrest protesters -- and Carter's decision to request the state police's assistance -- was "not about limiting free speech," he wrote in an email to students and staff, but rather to avoid "significant safety issues" he said arose at anti-war encampments at other universities.

The university previously explained that the protest encampments, which called for Ohio State to disclose, and ultimately divest, its investments in companies tied to Israel's war in Gaza, violated the university's rules regarding space use and noise restrictions during exam week. Carter reiterated the rules and said protesters were "repeatedly" notified of them before and during Thursday's protests.

"Encampments are not allowed on campus regardless of the reason for them," Carter's email read. "They create the need for around-the-clock safety and security resources, which takes these resources away from the rest of our community. They also create undue pressure on proximate buildings, in this case the Ohio Union, for restrooms and personal hygiene."

Carter further justified the arrests by explaining that the Ohio Union is an exam space, particularly for students with disabilities, and the encampment would have created a "disturbance" to a nearby dorm building. Denying claims that the university authorized police action against protesters because they were protesting Israel and Ohio State's ties to it, Carter said the university's rules are "content neutral and are enforced uniformly."

Thursday's arrests marked the most arrests of protesters on Ohio State's campus in more than 50 years. More than 40 people have been arrested for protesting there since last Tuesday, when two students were arrested outside an academic building.

Like at encampments at other universities across the country, the pro-Palestine protesters at Ohio State had several goals. At the top of the list is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where incomplete counts estimate more than 30,000 Palestinians have died since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack in Israel resulted in about 1,200 deaths. Protesters have also demanded Ohio State disclose its investments in companies tied to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, and to ultimately divest from those.

For years, students have called for Ohio State to divest from Israel-affiliated companies, as well as fossil fuel companies. The university has cited a state law forbidding targeted boycotting of Israel as an explanation for its inability to divest.

What happened last Thursday?

After hours of peaceful protest on the South Oval behind the Ohio Union, dozens of Ohio State officers clad in riot gear descended on the crowd, handcuffing protesters and carrying them to Franklin County sheriff’s buses parked nearby. Several protesters were arrested earlier in the day for pitching tents on campus, but police watched for hours – occasionally issuing threats of arrest – when hundreds of protesters returned in the evening.

Between chants to “Free Palestine” and demands that Ohio State divest from Israeli assets, many protesters took to the middle of the group to pray. Videos from reporters and protest attendees showed officers close in on the crowd, struggling to break through layers of protesters to rip apart the tents in the middle as protesters yelled to "Let them pray." State troopers on the roof of the Ohio Union had rifles ready "reactively to protect the safety of all present, including demonstrators," an Ohio State spokesperson confirmed.

"Arrests are not an action that I or any member of the administration take lightly," Carter's email read. "I have stated since the first day I was announced as president that safety will not be compromised."

All arrested protesters, including 16 students, were charged with criminal trespassing, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Faculty groups, students, academic departments and outside groups have called for all charges to be dropped against protesters.

A spokesperson for Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said Monday that the office is "conducting a full review of the facts, including footage of the events" to determine whether to proceed with the charges.