WASHINGTON — Students at George Washington University plan to protest after it was announced that some officers at George Washington University would be armed. Students were expected to gather with signs and banners at Kogan Plaza on the university's campus Monday afternoon. According to student journalists with the GW Hatchet, at least half a dozen student organizations were expected to participate in the protest.
In a letter sent last week to the community announcing the plan to arm the police force, university president Mark S. Wrighton pointed to recent instances of gun violence on college campuses, including Michigan State University and the University of Virginia. He also said the plan to arm some of the officers in the department was not a quick decision.
"After more than a year of careful consideration and deliberation, review of safety data and best practices, and input from experts, the Board of Trustees has directed the university administration to develop an implementation plan for arming specially trained GWPD supervisory officers. GWPD officers are sworn police officers, but none of them currently carry firearms," Wrighton wrote in the letter.
It is not clear how many of the specially trained supervisory officers will be a part of the police department.
Wrighton made it clear that the decision was not made because of a heightened threat to the campus, but an overall rise in gun violence across the country.
"In recent years there have been too many tragic instances of mass gun violence in communities and on college campuses. In the past several months alone, we have noted with deep concern shooting incidents at educational institutions, including at Michigan State University, the University of Virginia, and an elementary school in Nashville," Wrighton wrote.
In a statement, the university said students have a right to protest.
"[GW] is committed to the protection of free speech, the freedom of assembly, and the safeguarding of the right of lawful protest at the University, including virtual, online and digital settings. Therefore, student organizations and individual students shall have the right ... [of] conducting orderly demonstrations..."
Keigan Mccallagh said they don't think arming officers on campus will make the campus, and wider community safer.
"I believe that arming GWPD will only serve to make the community more dangerous, particularly for Black and brown students and the broader community that calls Foggy Bottom home."
Any additional feedback about the plan can be submitted online here.