Peaceful protests continue over weekend at Clemson

Protests at Clemson University were peaceful over the weekend at Sikes Hall on campus.

The Tiger, Clemson’s student newspaper, reported that Campus Rec donated tents to protesters and members of Lamda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity on campus, along with members from some fraternities at other N.C. universities, stopped by to talk with protesters Saturday, the fourth day of protests.

Organizer Sherman Jones said late last week protesters want direct talks with President Jim Clements to end the sit-in, which began Wednesday after a campus march by members of the Black Student Union and others to demand more diversity and improved race relations. That march followed an incident days earlier, in which some students hung a bunch of bananas on a banner in front of the John C. Calhoun home depicting African-American history.

Thursday, the day after the march, five students were issued citations for trespassing in connection with the sit-in. That same day, Clements released a statement outlining progress the university has made toward creating a better environment for minorities, noting millions in gifts to support a program to help minority and poor students who want to attend Clemson, as well as the university’s unveiling of a plaque acknowledging its historic link to slavery on the very ground where the campus now stands. A new chief diversity officer also is set to step into the job.

But protesters say there’s more work to be done.

Contributing wire reports: The Associated Press, Greenville News, The Tiger

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 10:38 PM with the headline "Peaceful protests continue over weekend at Clemson."