A civil protest will usually take the form of an organized public demonstration of disapproval or display disagreement with an idea or course of action. It should be noted that in many cases campus protests such as marches, meetings, picketing and rallies will be peaceful and non-obstructive.
A protest should not be disrupted unless one or more of the following conditions exists as a result of the demonstration:
- Disruption of the normal operations of the university
- Obstructing access to offices, buildings, or other university facilities
- Threat of physical harm to persons or damage to university facilities
- Willful demonstrations within the interior of any university building or structure, except as specifically authorized and subject to reasonable conditions imposed to protect the rights and safety of other persons and to prevent damage to property
- Unauthorized entry into or occupation of any university room, building, or area of the campus, including such entry or occupation at any unauthorized time, or any unauthorized or improper use of any university property, equipment, or facilities building or structure, except as specifically authorized and subject to reasonable conditions imposed to protect the rights and safety of other persons and to prevent damage to property
Immediate Action and Decision Maker(s)
If any of the above conditions exist, the UA Little Rock Police Department should be notified and will be responsible for contacting and informing the chancellor and the vice chancellor for educational and student services. Depending on the nature of the protest, the appropriate procedures listed below should be followed:
Peaceful, Non-Obstructive Protest
- Generally, peaceful protests should not be interrupted. Protestors should not be obstructed or provoked and efforts should be made to conduct university business as normally as possible.
- If protestors are asked, at the chancellor’s or designee’s request to leave but refuse to leave by regular facility closing time, arrangements will be made by the vice chancellor for educational and student services to monitor the situation during non-business hours, or a determination will be made to treat the violation of regular closing hours as a disruptive protest.
Non-Violent, Disruptive Protest
In the event that a protest blocks access to university facilities or interferes with the operation of the university:
- The vice chancellor for educational and student services or his designee will be notified of the situation. A decision will then be rendered as to whether to turn the matter over to DPS for disposition.
- If the protestors persist in disruptive behavior and refuse to leave after being directed to do so by UA Little Rock Police Department, then the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the criminal laws of the state of Arkansas and the UA Code of Student Behavior.
Violent, Disruptive Protests
In the event that a violent protest in which injury to persons or property occurs or appears imminent, the following will occur:
During Business Hours:
- UA Little Rock Police Department will be notified immediately. UA Little Rock Police Department will in turn contact the vice chancellor for educational and student services and vice chancellor for finance and administration. The chancellor will be notified by one of these officials.
- UA Little Rock Police Department will attempt to stabilize the situation with appropriate enforcement action. The Little Rock Police Department will be called to assist if needed.
- The chancellor, in consultation with the vice chancellor for educational and student services and the director of the police department, will determine any further actions.
After Business Hours:
- UA Little Rock Police Department will be notified immediately of the disturbance and take the appropriate steps to attempt to stabilize the situation. The Little Rock Police Department will be called for assistance if needed.
- UA Little Rock Police Department will notify the director of public safety, who will inform the vice chancellor for student services and the vice chancellor for finance and administration. These officials will inform the chancellor.
NOTE: If possible, an attempt will be made to communicate with the protestors to convince them to desist from engaging in violent activities in order to avoid further escalation of possible violent confrontation.
Subsequent Procedures/Information
Efforts should be made to secure positive identification of protestors in violation to facilitate later testimony, including photographs if deemed advisable. Additionally, efforts should be made to video tape any police action for future reference.
Learn more about the Student Code of Conduct.
