Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia see charges dropped

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
21 Jun 2024 11:22

13 individuals are scheduled to appear in court again on July 25, by which date prosecutors must decide whether they will proceed to trial on the trespass charges.

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A sign is shown written to read the University of Palestine at a pro-Palestine encampment on the University of Washington campus Monday, April 29, 2024, in Seattle. (AP)

Dozens of student protesters supporting Palestine, who were arrested in April for taking over a building at Columbia University in New York City, had all criminal charges against them dropped, according to Manhattan prosecutors at a recent court hearing.

The hearing took place at the Manhattan criminal courthouse, occurring seven weeks after Columbia University administrators called in a large contingent of armed and heavily armored police officers to dismantle the protest on campus.

The police arrested 46 protesters who had barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall during the incident. Additionally, law enforcement cleared out a tent encampment on a nearby Columbia lawn that had been established weeks prior and had become a focal point for pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities globally.

According to medical records, photographs from protesters, and interviews, at least nine out of the 46 protesters arrested sustained injuries beyond minor scrapes and bruises.

All 46 protesters, who were arrested on the night of April 30, approximately 20 hours after occupying the academic building, initially faced misdemeanor charges of third-degree trespassing.

During a court hearing on Thursday, Stephen Millan, a prosecutor from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, informed the court that his office would not pursue prosecution for 30 protesters who were Columbia students at the time of the incident, as well as two who were Columbia employees. This decision was based on prosecutorial discretion and a lack of sufficient evidence. Earlier in the month, the case against another student had already been dismissed.

Millan stated that protesters wore masks and obscured surveillance cameras, and there was inadequate evidence to prove that any individual defendant caused property damage or harmed anyone.

The prosecutor also mentioned that no police officers sustained injuries during the arrests.

None of the arrested students had prior criminal records, but all faced disciplinary actions such as suspensions and expulsions from Columbia University.

“All these matters are dismissed and sealed in the interest of justice,” Judge Kevin McGrath declared in a courtroom where numerous defendants and their supporters were present, wearing Koufiyyeh scarves draped over their shoulders. These scarves have always been symbolic of the pro-Palestinian movement.

DA offers adjournment in contemplation of dismissal to 13 arrested at Columbia protest

Prosecutors chose not to immediately drop trespass charges against 13 individuals who were arrested inside Hamilton Hall on that night. Among them, two were Columbia students, while the remaining 11 had no current affiliation with the university, though most were alumni.

Instead of dropping the charges outright, the district attorney’s office proposed that these 13 individuals accept an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. This legal provision under New York law would result in the charges being dropped and sealed after six months, provided that the defendants do not commit another offense during that period.

However, all 13 individuals declined the offer through their lawyers, who are now seeking to have the cases dismissed altogether. These 13 individuals are scheduled to appear in court again on July 25, by which date prosecutors must decide whether they will proceed to trial on the trespass charges. One protester who was arrested earlier accepted a similar offer in June.

Prosecutors indicated their intent to pursue charges against only one of the 46 protesters arrested during the incident. James Carlson, who has no affiliation with Columbia University, faces accusations of criminal mischief.

During his court appearance alongside his attorney, Carlson did not provide a statement regarding the charges, although his lawyer mentioned plans to contest the prosecution.

A spokesperson from Columbia University declined to offer comment on the recent court proceedings.

It is worth noting that the Intellectual Uprising movement is showing no signs of slowing down, despite classes coming to a halt at many universities and colleges throughout the US due to the beginning of the summer. Activists across the country, from California to New York, continue to demand that their institutions divest from Israeli companies involved in the war on Gaza.

At Columbia University, alumni set up their tents once again last Friday in solidarity with students who initiated the first protest encampment on a US campus in mid-April. The new tents were forcibly removed on June 16.

US police made large-scale arrests in universities all over the country, especially at Columbia, and even used chemical irritants and tasers to stop the protesters who expressed solidarity for Palestine.