Campus Alert Archive
Ohio State

Snipers on the Union Roof, 36 Arrests on the South Oval: Ohio State's Spring 2024 Gaza Encampment Was the Most Militarized in the Midwest

OHcivil unrestadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of April 25, 2024, Ohio State University Police Department officers and Ohio State Patrol troopers arrested 36 people -- 20 of them not affiliated with the university -- after protesters attempted to establish a Gaza solidarity encampment on the South Oval and refused repeated orders to disperse. The arrests were the largest mass-arrest operation on Ohio State's campus since the Vietnam War protests of 1969-1970. Documents later released under public records requests revealed that Ohio State administrators had coordinated with police at least two days in advance and that Ohio State Patrol officers on the Ohio Union roof had trained long-range firearms on protesters during the arrest operation.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
The Ohio State University
Public R1 · OH
BuckeyeAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction300 chars
[Ohio State University issued an advisory to the campus community advising avoidance of the South Oval area due to active police operations related to an unauthorized encampment. Community members were directed to follow officer instructions and updates would be provided as the situation developed.]

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Ohio State's primary mass-notification system is BuckeyeAlert, which routes through SMS, email, and the university's emergency website; formal BuckeyeAlerts are reserved for immediate danger while situational advisories are issued via university email
The South Oval is Ohio State's principal ceremonial green, located between the Main Library and the Ohio Union -- Ohio State's largest open gathering space and a frequent site of campus protests
Records later released under Ohio public records law showed that university administrators emailed police two days in advance to plan for a potential encampment, describing a coordinated pre-planned enforcement operation
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction460 chars
[Ohio State University confirmed that 36 individuals had been arrested and charged with criminal trespass following the unauthorized encampment attempt on the South Oval. The university stated that individuals had been warned repeatedly over five hours that remaining on the Oval in violation of university policy would result in arrest, and that those who refused to leave were taken into custody. Normal campus operations would resume the following morning.]

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

OSU spokesperson Benjamin Johnson initially denied that armed officers were stationed on the Ohio Union roof, but later acknowledged after photographs were published that officers 'carry standard equipment, including firearms, that would only be used reactively'
Ohio State Patrol officers on the Ohio Union roof had shifted from observing the South Oval through spotting scopes to aiming long-range firearms at students -- a detail revealed in photographs and later public records
Of the 36 people arrested, 16 were Ohio State students and 20 were not affiliated with the university
Context

Background

The April 25, 2024 Ohio State University South Oval encampment attempt produced the largest mass arrest on the Columbus campus since the Vietnam-era protests. Students for Justice in Palestine called for an encampment on the South Oval that Thursday evening; a group of more than 300 marched from College Road to the Oval and began setting up tents. Ohio State University Police Department officers and Ohio State Patrol troopers issued dispersal orders repeatedly over approximately five hours. At approximately 10 PM EDT, law enforcement began arresting those who refused to leave, charging 36 people with criminal trespass. Public records released in 2025 revealed that Ohio State administrators had emailed police two days before the encampment attempt to coordinate staffing levels -- framing the enforcement operation as deliberate and pre-planned rather than reactive. Among the most striking revelations: Ohio State Patrol officers stationed on the roof of the Ohio Union had aimed long-range firearms at student protesters on the South Oval. University spokesperson Benjamin Johnson initially denied there were any armed officers on the rooftop, but after photographs were published he acknowledged officers carried standard firearms that would 'only be used reactively.' Ohio State's enforcement drew immediate comparisons to the 1970 Kent State shootings, which occurred 54 years earlier just 130 miles away. The incident was later cited in Ohio legislative debates over university protest policies and Senate Bill 2972.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    OSU confirms 36 arrested at Thursday evening protest, most unaffiliated with university (WOSU Public Media)
    wosu.org
  2. reference
    2024 Ohio State University pro-Palestinian campus protests (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
  3. official record
    One year later, records reveal Ohio State University response to pro-Palestinian protest (WOSU Public Media)
    wosu.org
  4. News
    Inside the Ohio State University response to the 2024 pro-Palestine protests (Matter News)
    matternews.org
  5. News
    About 30 arrested as police break up pro-Palestine demonstration on South Oval (WOSU Public Media)
    wosu.org
Tags
civil-unrestgaza-encampmentsouth-ovalohio-state-patrolosupdarrestsrooftop-officerscampus-protestpre-planned-enforcementohiopublic-r1
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion