SANA’A — Dozens of students at Sana’a University are still continuing their protests against what they call “militarization of the university.”

By militarization, students are referring to the presence of soldiers of the First Armored Division (FAD), which is loyal to General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, on the university campus.

Majed Al-Shuaibi, a student in the Mass Communication College at Sana’a University, said many students continue protesting to evacuate the soldiers from the university. Al-Shuaibi said the students would never accept the university being taken over and changed into military barracks.

Students staged a demonstration Sunday condemning the presence of FAD soldiers on the university campus. Protestors chanted slogans calling for the university to avoid involving itself in any political conflict because it is an educational place and should remain unbiased.

A large number of FAD soldiers deployed to Sana’a University, located near Sana’a’s Change Square, and took over some of the colleges, turning them into sleeping barracks.

Abdulrazaq Al-Azazi, a youth activist at the university, said there are weapons and military vehicles linked to FAD all around the university, which bothers all the students.

He called for President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and the reconciliation government to remove soldiers from the university and return it to a military-free zone.

Some reports suggest the relationship between soldiers and university students has turned violent, with soldiers abusing protesting students.

FAD soldiers beat al-Azazi, Al-Shuaibi, Hani Al-Jonaid and Hashim Al-Abara during the protest, they reported.

Al-Azazi said students won’t give up and will hold several protests. He said the protest wouldn’t end until the removal of all soldiers and military semblances from the university.

Muaad Al-Janad, a soldier affiliated with FAD, said they are present at the university to protect the students and also the protestors who are at Sana’a’s Change Square.

Al-Janad denied the presence of military barracks and weapons inside the university. Moreover, he denied attacking students during the protest.

“It’s impossible for the soldiers who protected the revolution to attack students,” he said.