George Washington University students protest school's decision to arm campus police

BETHESDA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Some George Washington University officers will soon begin carrying firearms. Students held a protest on campus Monday to let school officials know they don't want that to happen. 

GW announced last week the board of trustees has directed the university to equip specially trained campus police officers with guns by this fall. Twenty student organizations, thus far, have signed a statement opposing arming the police. 

Students marched to the university president's home Monday afternoon and demanded the school reverse its decision to arm GWPD. They're citing racist police violence and ineffective police responses to school shootings. 

"We don't believe that the answer to gun violence is adding more guns to the equation, and we don't believe it will make us safer if there have been no previous incidents where a firearm would've been necessary," said Keigan McCullaugh, Hub coordinator of Sunrise GW. 

The board of trustees' decision to begin arming GWPD officers will only open the doors for more police violence on this campus.

"There is no heightened threat to the safety of our students. Therefore, there's no need to arm officers,"  one student shouted through a megaphone. "This year alone, the most common crimes have been theft, liquor law violations, destruction of property, and vandalism."

The university released a statement saying, "GW is committed to the protection of free speech, the freedom of assembly, and the safeguarding of the right of lawful protest at the university."