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Last November, “Occupy FIU” gathered at the Deuxieme Maison pit on the school’s West Miami-Dade campus and decried excessive student loans, Wall Street bankers, and money in politics.
Yesterday, they tried to do it again. This time, seven people — including two FIU students — were arrested.
The arrests just might be the first for South Florida’s “Occupy” movement, and a signal that local officialdom’s attitude towards the protesters is changing.
UPDATE: “The FIU 7,” as the group is calling itself on Facebook, were released from jail at 1:30 p.m.
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Protesters told FIU Student Media that the event had “hardly started” when cops began arresting people.
“We were making no noise, there was nothing playing, it was really peaceful,” Victoria Aguila told FIUSM. “When someone stood up to say ‘let’s go to the lawn,’ they removed us. We were asked to leave, but when one of our members spoke up to try to get the people to the lawn, he was arrested.”
“We are moving to the DC lawn because we can’t be here,” another student shouted. “But if you are unhappy with how the school treats you, write a letter to the administration.”
That’s when police swooped in.
“We asked them to stop, to move and leave. They refused,” FIU spokeswoman Maydel Santana-Bravo told The Miami Herald.
But the protesters insist they were cooperating. They say they checked ahead of time with the FIU ombudsman, who told them that they didn’t need a permit.
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