PHOTOS: Pomona College calls in riot police to arrest 19 students participating in divestment sit-in

Pomona College called in more than 30 police officers, over a dozen in riot gear armed with shields and high-caliber crowd control weapons, to arrest 19 students who were participating in a peaceful sit-in to demand divestment on Friday, just two hours after it began. The police arrested one additional student who was standing outside of the building in support. Pomona immediately placed all arrested Pomona students on “interim suspension,” depriving them of housing and access to campus.

See also: VIDEO: Pomona calls riot police, 25 police vehicles on 19-student sit-in at Alexander Hall

See also: ARRESTED, JAILED, SUSPENDED, UNHOUSED: What happened to the Pomona Seven after April 5

The 19 students entered Pomona President Gabi Starr’s office around 4 p.m. Campus Safety closed the door to the office, physically pushing a student reporter wearing a press vest out. Around 40 students subsequently entered the building, sitting and chanting in the lobby outside.

Several Claremont Police Department cars arrived around 5 p.m. By 6 p.m. there were 25 police vehicles present, from Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, Covina and Azusa police departments.

Hundreds of students, accompanied by professors and other community members, rallied outside of the building as police took ziptied students out and transported them to the Claremont police station.

More reporting to come.