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Student group who protested LSU presidential search meeting celebrates release of arrested demonstrator
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BATON ROUGE — A student protestor who was arrested after being forcefully removed from the LSU Presidential Search Committee meeting has been released, LSU Students for a Democratic Society said on social media Thursday.
"Victory for the student movement," LSU SDS said in an Instagram post early Thursday morning, celebrating the release of Gabriela Juárez. "Dare to struggle, dare to win!"
The group also posted a link to their Venmo asking for donations to help with the legal fees of the arrested demonstrators.
Juárez was taken into custody alongside six other student protestors from LSU SDS after they protested the committee meeting on Wednesday. Juárez and her compatriots were protesting appointments to the LSU Board of Supervisors by Gov. Jeff Landry.
Six students who were taken into custody and put in a holding cell were released shortly after being detained and face various charges, including obstruction of highway commerce, resisting an officer and prohibition of interference with the educational process.
Juárez, however, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for resisting an officer and for the prohibition of interference with the educational process.
"She went over time on that comment, and instead of being reprimanded by the chair or anything like that, she was forcibly removed by LSUPD. Two officers grabbed her," student protester Hayden Welk said, adding that they were protesting the lack of student input on the LSU Presidential Search Committee.
Students chanted "shame on you" as she was taken out of the meeting. Outside, students were placed into handcuffs by LSUPD officers. Protesters said they were detained for blocking the LSUPD vehicle that Juárez was in.
In a statement, LSU said Juárez was arrested for "[exceeding] the time limit" and "[refusing] lawful directives" despite multiple warnings, and the other six were arrested for "interfering with that lawful arrest."
The group will be holding a news conference about Wednesday's demonstration at 10 a.m. in Free Speech Alley in front of LSU's Student Union.
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