Student activists on Tuesday chanted that there "ain't no power like the power of the people, 'cause the power of the people don't stop."

This week, that power was forced to stop.

On Tuesday, 31 students were arrested at a sit-in at Old Main while demanding that the university approve the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP).

On Wednesday, students handing out fliers about the anti-sweatshop program were told by police and an Alumni Association representative to leave the Old Main lawn -- with no reason offered.

The students stood on the lawn among hundreds of people celebrating Old Main Open House, who were playing games, eating free food and taking tours to the bell tower.

Lion Ambassadors shouted "We Are ... Penn State" as tour groups crossed the Old Main patio.

There was space for people playing games, and there was space for students basking in the sun, but the university didn't allow space for activism.

The students should have been allowed to protest on the lawn, which is a public area.

Neither the University Police official nor the member of the Alumni Association told the students the policy that they had violated in handing out the fliers.

If the university intends to arbitrarily deny students the right to assemble, they should make sure to inform officers of which policy is allegedly violated. It is a student's First Amendment right to protest, even if it's something the university doesn't want to hear.

On the other hand, the students who were asked to leave should have demanded that they be allowed to stay -- or at least know the reason they were asked to leave.

Though the university would obviously much prefer to see Lion Ambassadors tossing bean bags on the lawn, student activists with signs and banners must be allowed as well.

If those chants of "We Are" mean anything to this university, every voice must be heard -- especially if they're saying something the administration would rather ignore.

And the students who want to protest mustn't allow "the power of the people" to stop.