University of Hawaii at Manoa Students Stage Sit-in to Protest Firing of Chancellor Tom Apple

Here’s how it went down, in photos.

All was quiet at Bachman Hall Thursday morning.

But not for long.

With rumors circulating that University of Hawaii at Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was getting fired, students announced Tuesday their plans for a sit-in at Bachman Hall, where UH President David Lassner’s office is located.

The students vowed that, starting Thursday, they would occupy the building until Lassner agreed not to fire Apple.

On Wednesday, Lassner threw them a curveball by confirming the rumors that Apple would be fired by announcing that he had, indeed, fired Apple.

The students decided to go ahead with the sit-in anyway, vowing to remain in Bachman Hall until Apple was rehired.

Lassner greeted them at the front door.

And sat with them for a while.

It was a tough crowd, which included several faculty members.

Apple was popular with students and faculty alike, who viewed him as a reformer.

Lassner said Apple’s job performance was unsatisfactory, cited his failure to put together a “cohesive” leadership team, and blamed him for UH Manoa’s financial problems.

There was a long, tense discussion, with a lot of yelling and mocking laughter from the protesters.

After talking for about an hour Lassner went back upstairs to his office.

And the protesters entered the lobby.

Let the sit-in begin.