Does Augsburg allow protests on campus?
Yes. Augsburg supports the use of first amendment rights in the form of peaceful protests.
Will DPS take action against protesters on campus?
No, the Department of Public Safety will not take action against peaceful protesters. Augsburg’s Department of Public Safety will monitor any protest on campus to promote the safety of all parties involved. The Department of Public Safety will only intervene in a protest if the behavior of individuals causes a safety concern, or if the behavior or language of the protest violates any university policies or Federal, State or Local laws. In the instance that a protest violates university policy but is following all applicable laws, Public Safety staff may ask the protest to move off of campus property and onto public land, such as Murphy Square.
What happens if a peaceful protest turns violent on campus?
In the event acts of violence or destruction occur during a protest on campus, Department of Public Safety staff will intervene to protect the safety of everyone involved. If Department of Public Safety staff are not able to control the situation with the resources available to the department, they will call the Minneapolis Police for assistance and they will issue an Augsburg Emergency Notification Alert to inform the community of the situation. For any Augsburg student, staff or faculty who are involved in the protest, but do not want to be involved in the violence and the police response please do the following:
- Quickly and safely make your way to the nearest non-residential campus building
- Help others around you who want to leave the situation to the nearest non-residential building
- Use your fob to gain entrance into the building – move to an interior space such as a hallway or lobby and stay away from windows
- While in the building make sure to wear a face covering and do your best to maintain social distancing
- Call Public Safety (612-330-1717) or use the CampusShield app to alert Public Safety staff of any issues occurring inside the building you are in
While our main focus is the safety of the Augsburg community, if any non-Augsburg individuals at the protest are looking to get to a safe place away from violence, please assist them in getting into one of our buildings as our Public Safety staff will be focusing on the initial incident. If possible, stay with any non-Augsburg individuals to provide any updates sent out through the Augsburg Emergency Notification system and to help protect the Augsburg community and property.
To subscribe to the Augsburg Emergency Notification system or manage your contact information, log into Inside Augsburg and click “Emergency Notification” in the left menu.