Emory’s campus was subdued Friday.
Faculty said typically there would be more students on the Quadrangle at the center of campus on a warm day, but late in the morning the area was sparsely dotted with people, including police officers and TV news crews.
Students who spoke with the AJC declined to give their names, citing divisive opinions on the issue and potential repercussions as they seek employment.
They said they felt the police escalated the situation.
“I can understand why police were called, but the way they handled the situation was ridiculous,” one student said, adding that most of the initial protest occurred while she was in class and was shut down by the time she got out.
She and others also questioned the narrative that people not affiliated with Emory agitated the protest, pointing out that 20 of the 28 people arrested Thursday were identified as campus community members.
“The way the administration has characterized the protests has been misleading,” another student said while walking through the quad. “They (had) the Georgia State Patrol on call, had DeKalb County police on call, Atlanta police call ― the fact that (that) was their immediate action was horrifying.”
A third student said, “There was a completely unjustified show of force by the police.”
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