Andrew T. Guzman, the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Southern California, sent a letter to the school’s students, faculty and other members with an update on the situation taking place on campus.
Guzman reiterated the university “values freedom of expression and protects the right of every member of our community to express themselves,” but added, “We have well-established policies regarding limits on the time, place, and manner of free expression.”
Guzman said the call to shut down the campus stemmed from a confrontation between protesters outside the Doheny Library and security. Security members asked the protesters, many of whom Guzman said weren’t affiliated with USC, to leave and remove tents they set up, but the protesters refused, according to the school.
“Their actions have escalated to the point of confrontation and have threatened the safety of our officers and campus community,” Guzman said.
Until further notice, only people with “USC identification or verifiable business purpose will be able to access campus, attend classes, and participate in activities” will be allowed on campus, according to Guzman.
“In these challenging times, we call on the Trojan Family to remember that every member of our community is deserving of respect, has the right to be safe on campus, take classes, and participate in other campus activities without fear of harassment or bullying. It should be everyone’s priority to treat each other with kindness and care,” he said.
-ABC News’ Jenna Harrison