Students at Lovely Professional University (LPU) have come forward to tell their side of the story after protests over the alleged rape of a student at Girls Hostel 3 (GH3) turned into large-scale vandalism on campus. Police moved in to pacify the protesters as the situation escalated.
The alleged rape triggered anger among students, who laid siege to the campus premises last night. The protests and highway jams continued until this afternoon.
LPU Protest: What Happened on Campus
Viral videos shot on the university campus showed vandalism at a scale that shocked many. In videos from last night, a huge crowd of students can be seen gathered outside Girls Hostel 4.
Students broke window panes, vandalised campus property, and damaged road fixtures, pots and glass windows using lathis. They also set afire campus property at certain places during the vandalism.
Videos emerging this morning showed that glass windows of even the upper floors were damaged, pointing to how far the destruction had spread across the campus.
Students Speak Out as Police Step In
As police swung into action to pacify the protesters, students shared their version of events. Their account suggests the situation spiralled out of control, with students describing how "things escalated when…" the protests grew.
The student protest was a direct response to the alleged rape at Girls Hostel 3. Anger over the incident brought a large number of students onto the streets, blocking highways and surrounding the campus premises.
- The protest began over the alleged rape of a student at Girls Hostel 3 (GH3)
- Students laid siege to the campus and jammed highways
- The unrest lasted from last night until this afternoon
- Campus property, including windows, pots and road fixtures, was damaged
- Police were called in to pacify the protesters
Our Take: Safety on Campus Cannot Wait
To put it plainly, this is a story about two things at once — a serious allegation of rape inside a hostel, and a student body so angry that it tore apart its own campus. Both demand answers.
In our view, the core issue is the safety of students, especially women, inside hostel premises. When students feel that their complaints are not heard, anger builds until it explodes. The vandalism cannot be justified, but it should not be treated as the only problem here either.
What readers should watch for is whether the alleged rape is properly investigated and whether the university fixes the gaps that let students reach this point. Police action may calm the crowd for now, but it will not solve the fear that started it. Students deserve a campus where they feel safe — and answers they can trust.
