Howard University students protest poor housing conditions on campus
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A group of Howard University students gathered Wednesday for day two of protests over poor housing conditions on campus.
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Students say rats, roaches and mold are just some of the things they've had to deal with in on-campus housing.
Videos sent to FOX 5 also show water pouring out of pipes, expired air filters with mold and mildew and mushrooms growing on ceilings and walls.
With tuition being nearly $50,000 a year, students say they're frustrated with how Howard's administration has handled the situation.
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The group Live Movement, a coalition of students from historically Black colleges and universities, originally invited faculty and school officials to a town hall Tuesday night to address their concerns.
Instead, police arrived on campus to try and remove students.
Students are now demanding an in-person meeting with administrators by the end of the month, voting power for student representatives on the Board of Trustees and further discussion of housing plans for future students.
Howard University tweeted a statement saying in part they support the right to a peaceful protest and during a student town hall, a small group interrupted the constructive dialogue and instigated a sit-in.
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They went on to say they have sat down with student leaders for lunch to open up a conversation about their concerns over the past two weeks.
Students say their protests have remained peaceful, even when administrators threatened to expel students if they did not leave the building before noon on Wednesday.
Instead, hundreds more went inside.
At one point, campus police blocked food, water and other resources from coming into the building where the protest was taking place.
Nearly every student FOX 5 spoke with says they will not leave until their demands are met.
FOX 5 obtained an email that went out to students from Howard University faculty saying they stand in solidarity with students.
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As of right now, the university has not responded to the protestors' request for a meeting.
One of the student leaders tells FOX 5 they are working to find legal representation for any student that may get in trouble with the university due to the protests.