Almost four months after AU students stormed the Ward building to protest a speech delivered by ex-White House aide Karl Rove, The Eagle has learned that the university recently notified six of the protesters that they may be served warrants for their arrest.
Although authorities have not yet officially contacted the students, the entire situation seems mired in ambiguity. The Eagle is not certain who is issuing the warrants, the exact charges the issuing authorities plan to press or the reasons that these six students were chosen from a group of more than 80 who attended the protest.
While it would be wrong to expect specifics this early in the legal process, we at The Eagle have a few obvious concerns. Perhaps most obviously, why did authorities wait so long to issue the warrants? Could the timing have anything to do with Rove's recent resignation or the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year? More importantly, how did these unnamed authorities identify these six students? At least 16 protesters crossed police lines to block the ex-White House aide from fleeing the scene. Others threw objects at Rove's car and pounded its windows. Why didn't authorities threaten or serve these students with warrants for their arrest?
Granted, some may argue that the students who acted out of line deserved to be punished, but wasn't the university's action sufficient? Though it remains unclear what authorities intend to accomplish through any impending legal proceedings, the AU community - not to mention the protesters who expressed their dissatisfaction through legitimate means - deserves some answers.
