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photo by Bob Geary

Legislature's cops arresting Zaina Alsous (left, in custody) after she crossed the police line blocking entrance to the General Assembly yesterday. She was one of five students arrested during the NC Student Power Union demonstration.

Five UNC system students, members of the NC Student Power Union, were arrested at the General Assembly yesterday. They were part of a larger demonstration of about 100 students and others in the front of the General Assembly building, the purpose of which is explained in the statement released this morning by NCSPU.

When the protesters arrived on West Jones Street, police formed a line across the front of the building. Since the building is open to the public, it's unclear to me what authority they were invoking to keep selected people out. That said, when five of the protesters crossed through the police line, they were arrested. Others who were not part of the protest simply went around the line and entered the building freely. It suggests to me that the police were barring people from entry based on their political beliefs, which would seem to be a pretty clear First Amendment violation.

One of the students arrested, UNC-Chapel Hill senior Zaina Alsous, made a video prior to the demonstration explaining why she intended to engage in an act of civil disobedience. It's about 2:00 long — worth a look.

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Here's what the police line looked like before the protesters crossed it —

photo by Bob Geary

Part of the police line in front of the General Assembly as the NC Student Power Union protest began. Raleigh police are in the blue uniforms. The General Assembly has its own police force — they're in the gray uniforms or in plain clothes.

And the statement from the NCSPU —