Prosecutors Have Levied Serious Charges Against Pro-Palestine College Protesters

Over the past year, hundreds of thousands of college students across the country banded together to demand an end to the U.S.-backed attacks on Gaza, which have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in what many experts have called a genocide. As the movement surged last spring, police arrested more than 3,200 protesters, The Appeal’s earlier reporting found. Over the summer, dozens of schools enacted new rules to stifle dissent. 

When the school year resumed, so did the protests—and the police crackdown. As student demonstrations and arrests continue ahead of a contentious Presidential election, The Appeal tracked the outcomes of the spring’s arrests from nearly two dozen college campuses across the country, and found that, of those analyzed, nearly half of the cases are still pending, meaning the prosecutor is still deciding whether to press charges. Only one protester has been sentenced so far, but more than a hundred have been charged with misdemeanors and felonies. Some cases have been diverted, while others have been dismissed—in several cases, prosecutors had to dismiss charges after bodycam footage revealed police lied.

Police arrested more than 3,200 protesters at 73 college campuses between April and July. The Appeal reviewed a sample of 935 arrests at 22 campuses, nearly a third of the total, where local prosecutors are up for election. Court records, local news reports, and conversations with prosecutors’ offices revealed that:

• 440 cases are still pending, meaning charges have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office by police for review, but prosecutors have not yet made a charging decision. This is typical, as court cases often proceed slowly.
• 120 protesters have been charged, often with misdemeanors such as trespassing, but occasionally with serious felony charges including resisting a police officer or “mob action,” both of which carry potential prison terms.
• 181 charges have been dismissed. In most cases, prosecutors decided to drop the charges after determining there was no probable cause or reasonable likelihood of conviction. In other cases, judges or grand juries dismissed the charges after finding the prosecution’s argument unconvincing.
• 33 cases were sent to pretrial diversion programs, meaning the charges will be dismissed so long as the protester completes the terms of a diversion agreement. People often must stay out of legal trouble for a set period of time, complete community service, and pay fees.
• 20 charges were not submitted to a prosecuting agency by law enforcement, meaning police detained and cited protesters, but did not make arrests or request charges.
• 14 cases were charged as non-criminal ordinance violations, meaning they were treated like traffic tickets and are not a part of someone’s criminal record.
• One protester was sentenced. A senior at the University of Florida accused of felony battery on a police officer for allegedly spitting on an officer’s arm took a plea deal for 18 months of probation.
• Information is missing for the remaining 126 cases. The Appeal has asked prosecutors’ offices for more information whenever there was a discrepancy between the numbers of arrests and charges.

Ahead of election day, some arrests became highly politicized. At Xavier University in Ohio, police arrested two students for trespassing and committing crimes while “wearing a disguise,” a felony originally enacted to crack down on the Ku Klux Klan. The demonstrators were wearing medical face masks. The Republican-run Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office told local news they had never previously used the law.

At the University of New Hampshire, police dropped charges against one protester they arrested when they learned he was there to support Israel. In Georgia, two protesters were offered diversion—but that offer was revoked once they were arrested again, this time for allegedly burning flags on July 5.

Elsewhere, an investigation by The Guardian found the University of Michigan’s governing board asked the state attorney general to bring charges against protesters, rather than hand the case to a local district attorney who may have taken a more lenient stance. Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit should have had jurisdiction over the University of Michigan cases. Savit, who is Jewish, previously dismissed charges against pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested during a demonstration last November. 

At the University’s request, Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel took over the spring cases and filed criminal charges against 11 people—seven of whom after facing felony charges that carry a two-year prison sentence. Nessel charged one protester with “attempted ethnic intimidation” for allegedly kicking over flags. 

In addition to criminal charges, many students arrested last spring face disciplinary actions from their universities. Some students have been suspended or temporarily banned from campus. In Florida, one student was forced to return to Colombia after the University of South Florida suspended him, since he could no longer meet the requirements for his student visa.

At Columbia University in New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams sicced NYPD officers on protesters in May, students returned to a campus teeming with private security agents and identification checkpoints. Several universities now require students to obtain prior authorization to put up fliers and pre-register demonstrations.

In several instances, prosecutors were forced to drop cases when bodyworn camera footage contradicted officers’ statements about the arrests. In Wisconsin, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne dismissed charges against three protesters, citing a lack of evidence. In one case, police charged a protester with felony battery on a law enforcement official for hitting an officer in the face with a skateboard. Ozanne said a review of video evidence showed that did not happen. 

In Michigan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy dismissed charges against five protesters. In one instance, an officer claimed a protester hit his shield, but Worthy said a review of bodycam footage showed that was untrue. In New Mexico, police accused one protester of causing $40,000 in property damage to the University of New Mexico. Bodycam footage shows officers throwing and kicking chairs inside the school.

At the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, police used surveillance technology to arrest protesters weeks after the demonstrations ended. Though police arrested only two people on the day of the protest, several more people have since been charged. Police used social media and license-plate readers to identify other people present at the protest. 

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz’s office has charged eight people with “mob action,” a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.

Some prosecutors seemed to think their handling of the protest cases may help their reelection bids. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt branded himself a reformer when he won office in 2020. But, after police arrested protesters at Portland State University last May, Schmidt pledged to bring serious charges against them. The lurch to the right ultimately did nothing for Schmidt, who lost his reelection bid to his tough-on-crime opponent, Nathan Vasquez.

Below is a detailed rundown of the cases at the 22 campuses reviewed by The Appeal.

Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona

Status: 68 charged, four dismissed

Prosecutor: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell

Campus police arrested 72 people for trespassing on Apr. 26, according to a statement from the university.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell’s office filed misdemeanor trespassing charges against 68 pro-Palestinian protesters, according to an Oct. 9 press release. A spokesperson for Mitchell’s office told The Appeal prosecutors did not charge the remaining four protesters because there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction. 

The Department of Justice is currently investigating ASU’s handling of protests last May, when police forcibly removed several women’s hijabs.

Mitchell, a tough-on-crime Republican, is running for reelection this year in a hotly contested race against Democratic challenger Tamika Wooten.

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio

Prosecutor: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley

Status: 20 not submitted for prosecution

Campus police detained 20 people on Apr. 29, according to local media. Police released the protesters without arresting or charging them, meaning charges were not submitted to a prosecutor’s office for further action.

Had felony charges been submitted, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley’s office would have had jurisdiction. 

O’Malley is running for reelection this year and is unopposed after defeating a challenger in the March Democratic primary. 

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia

Prosecutor: DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling

Status: Two dismissed, five diverted, and 21 pending

Georgia State Patrol arrested at least 28 people for trespassing, disorderly conduct, and obstruction of law enforcement on Apr. 25, local news reported. One professor whose brutal arrest was caught on camera was charged with battery on a police officer.

DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling’s office dismissed charges against two people arrested at a campus protest in April, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 

Prosecutors sent five other cases to its diversion program, meaning those protesters can have their records cleared after completing the diversion requirements. 

The remaining 21 cases are still under investigation.

Coleman-Stribling, a Democrat, is running for reelection unopposed.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston’s handles felony cases. Boston did not respond when asked whether any cases had been submitted to her office for prosecution. 

Boston, a Democrat, is also running unopposed.

New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Prosecutor: Doña Ana County District Attorney Gerald Byers

Status: Six diverted, three pending, one dismissed by a judge, and one dismissed by prosecutors

Campus police arrested 11 people on May 9 for trespassing, resisting arrest, felony battery on a law enforcement officer, and felony property damage, local news reported.

The Appeal reviewed court records from Doña Ana County and found that of the 11 protesters, prosecutors sent six to a diversion program, meaning their charges will be dismissed if they comply with the terms of the program. 

Three cases are still pending, including the case of one 21-year-old protester who is charged with battery on a law enforcement official, a felony. 

Misdemeanor charges against one of the 11 protesters were dropped after a judge sided with defense attorneys and dismissed the case. 

Charges against the final protester—including charges of felony battery on a peace officer, felony criminal property damage over $1,000, and resisting arrest—were dismissed by prosecutors.

Doña Ana County District Attorney Gerald Byers did not respond when asked about his office’s handling of the protest cases.

Byers was running for reelection in 2024 but lost the Democratic primary to challenger Fernando Macías.

Portland State University in Portland, Oregon

Prosecutor: Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt

Status: 27 charged

Portland Police and campus police arrested 30 people on May 2 and an additional seven people on May 23, local news reported.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s office told local news 27 protesters face criminal charges, including trespassing and assault on a police officer.

Schmidt was running for reelection but lost to his more tough-on-crime opponent, Nathan Vasquez.

University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona

Prosecutor: Pima County Attorney Laura Conover

Status: Two dismissed, four pending

Several police departments arrested four people for criminal trespassing and aggravated assault on an officer on Apr. 30 local news reported. Officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters. Police arrested two more people on May 10. 

A spokesperson for Pima County Attorney Laura Conover’s office told The Appeal that police submitted all six cases to their officer for prosecution. So far, two have been dismissed. The other four remain pending.

Conover, who has branded herself as a reformer, won the Democratic primary in July. There is no challenger in the general election. 

University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York

Prosecutor: Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane

Status: 14 charged as non-criminal violations; one charged and dismissed by a judge

Campus police, Buffalo police, Amherst police, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, and state police arrested 15 people for loitering, trespass, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest on May 1, according to the university.

The Amherst Town Attorney’s office told the University of Buffalo’s student newspaper that 14 protesters were charged with non-criminal violations. 

The Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane’s office charged one protester with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. She faced up to one year in prison. Ultimately, the judge sided with the defense and dismissed the case.

Keane, a Democrat, was appointed acting district attorney in March. He is running for election to a full term in a hotly contested race against Republican challenger James Gardner.

The Amherst Town Attorney is appointed, not elected.

University of California in Los Angeles, California

Prosecutor: Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon and Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto

Status: Two charged, 210 referred for charges

The Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol, campus police, and other law enforcement arrested at least 210 protesters while breaking up a protest encampment on the night of May 1 and morning of May 2, local news reported. A day earlier, roughly two dozen protesters were hospitalized after Israel supporters attacked the encampment. 

Days later, police arrested an additional 43 protesters for conspiracy to attempt burglary. During the anti-war protests, Israel supporters attacked the encampment, sending roughly two dozen protesters to the hospital.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon decided not to pursue felony charges against the pro-Israel counter-protester who beat anti-war protesters with a pole, the Los Angeles Times reported. Gascon instead referred the case to the city attorney’s office for possible misdemeanor charges.

Gascon’s office told The Appeal that all misdemeanor cases from the UCLA protests were sent by law enforcement to the city attorney’s office. So far, Gascon has charged two people present at the UCLA events with felonies, a spokesperson for the office said in an email.

Prosecutors charged one 25-year-old with two felony counts of resisting an executive officer, one misdemeanor count of battery on a peace officer, and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment over the summer. He has a hearing set for Nov. 5. 

Prosecutors charged a counter-protester with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of misdemeanor battery. He is also accused of a hate crime. Video footage of the UCLA protests shared on social media show the counter-protester repeatedly attacking people. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 22.

Gascon, who won in 2020 by branding himself as a left-leaning criminal justice reformer, is running for reelection this year in a hotly contested race against tough-on-crime candidate Nathan Hochman.

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office told The Appeal they have 210 referrals from UCLA under review. The city attorney is an elected position, but the election for the office is not this year.

University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida

Prosecutor: Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer

Status: One sentenced, five diverted, and three pending

Campus police and Florida Highway Patrol arrested nine people on Apr. 29. 

Police accused one protester of felony battery on a police officer for allegedly spitting on an officer’s arm. That protester, a senior at the university, was banned from campus for three years over the incident and ultimately took a plea deal for 18 months probation. 

Police accused two other protesters of wearing a mask on public property, failing to obey, and resisting arrest. Prosecutors with State Attorney Brian Kramer’s office only filed the resisting arrest charge against both students and put their cases through pre-trial diversion. That means the charges will be dismissed if they do community service, do not violate the law again within 6 months, and pay fines.

In September, prosecutors charged three protesters with resisting arrest, but also allowed those protesters to get the charges dismissed if they complete diversion programs. 

The criminal cases involving the three remaining protesters arrested last April are ongoing.

Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer, a Republican, is running for reelection this year against challenger Yvens Pierre-Antoine, a former public defender. 

University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia

Prosecutor: Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Will Fleenor and Athens-Clarke County District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez

Status: One diverted, one dismissed, two charged

Campus police arrested at least 16 people for trespassing on Apr. 29, local news reported.

Prosecutors referred at least four protesters to diversion programs, according to a review of court records by The Appeal. The terms of the program include completing 40 hours of community service, paying $250 in fees, and not getting in trouble again for several months.

Two protesters were arrested again in July for allegedly burning a flag. Those protesters had their diversion programs revoked. One protester completed the program and had his case dismissed by prosecutors. Another remains in the diversion program.

Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Will Fleenor prosecutes misdemeanors. His office has not responded when asked about the status of the other 12 protesters.

The county solicitor general is an elected position, but Fleenor will not be up for election again until 2024.

Should any of the cases rise to a felony, they would instead be sent to the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez’s office.

Gonzalez, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year against independent candidate Kalki Yalamanchili.

University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

Prosecutor: Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz

Status: Eight charged

Campus police arrested two people on Apr. 26. Both have been charged with felony “mob action,” according to local news.

Though police arrested only two people on the day of the protest, several more people have since been charged. Police used social media and license-plate readers to identify other people present at the protest.

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz’s office has charged eight people with “mob action,” a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.

Rietz, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year and is unopposed.

University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas

Prosecutor: Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez

Status: Three dismissed, one undetermined

Campus police arrested one person for interference with law enforcement on May 7, local news reported. Campus police arrested three more protesters for criminal trespassing on May 9.

Lawrence Municipal Court dismissed the three trespassing cases in September, local news reported.

Had felony charges been submitted, Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez’s office would have had jurisdiction. Valdez was running for reelection but lost the Democratic primary in August.

Lawrence City Prosecutor Elizabeth Hafoka did not respond when asked about the status of the interference case.

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Prosecutor: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Status: 11 charged

Michigan State Police arrested one person on May 3, local news reported. Campus police arrested an additional four people for obstruction and resisting arrest on May 21, local news reported. Four more protesters were arrested at a demonstration in August.

An investigation by The Guardian found that the University of Michigan’s governing board asked Michigan’s attorney general to bring charges against campus protesters. Instead of allowing the case to be handled by local prosecutors, Attorney General Dana Nessel took over and filed criminal charges against 11 people. 

Nessel charged two protesters with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and seven people with trespassing and resisting a police officer, a felony which carries a potential 2-year prison sentence. The attorney general also charged one person with disturbing the peace and attempted ethnic intimidation for allegedly kicking over flags and another with malicious destruction of personal property for allegedly breaking flags from counter-protesters.

Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit should have had jurisdiction over the University of Michigan cases. Savit, who is Jewish, previously dismissed charges against pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested during a prior demonstration.

Savit, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year and is unopposed.

University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire

Prosecutor: Handled internally by the University of New Hampshire

Status: Nine diverted, two undetermined, one dismissed

Campus police arrested 12 people for trespassing and disorderly conduct on May 1, according to local news.

In August, a University of New Hampshire prosecutor granted seven of the protesters plea deals that would allow their cases to be dismissed provided that they complete community service and avoid getting in trouble again for a set period of time. University police dropped the charges against one protester after learning that he was a counter-protester and was not protesting Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Police accused two protesters of assaulting police officers. Both students denied doing so. University prosecutors ultimately agreed to drop the charges if the students completed 40 hours of community service.

The status of the cases against the two remaining protesters is unclear. The Appeal has requested comment from the university and will update if we receive a response.

If any of the cases are charged as a felony, Strafford County Attorney Emily Garod’s office would have jurisdiction.

Garod is running for reelection this year.

University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Prosecutor: Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman

Status: Two charged, 15 dismissed, one diverted

State and campus police arrested 16 people for trespassing and wrongful use of public property on Apr. 29, a university spokesperson told local media.

State and campus police arrested an additional 7 people on May 15 for criminal trespassing, wrongful use of property, and concealing an identity, local news reported. 

Prosecutors dropped charges against 13 protesters and two journalists arrested last spring. Two protesters are awaiting trial. Another entered a diversion program, local news reported. 

Police and prosecutors accused one protester of causing $40,000 in property damage. Bodyworn camera footage showed officers throwing and kicking chairs inside the university.

Prior to the arrests, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman’s office told The Appeal: “This office is not interested in prosecuting people for exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Bregman won the Democratic primary in June, securing his seat for the next four years.

University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California

Prosecutor: Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto

Status: 93 referred for charges

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 93 people for trespassing on Apr. 25, local news reported. Campus police arrested an additional 25 people for willful disruption of university operations on Jun. 11.

Gascon’s office told The Appeal that all misdemeanor cases from the USC protests were sent by law enforcement to the city attorney’s office. No felony cases related to the USC protests have been sent to the district attorney’s office.

Gascon, who won in 2020 by branding himself as a left-leaning criminal justice reformer, is running for reelection this year in a hotly contested race against tough-on-crime candidate Nathan Hochman.

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office told The Appeal they have 93 referrals from USC under review. The city attorney is an elected position, but the election for the office is not this year.

University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida

Prosecutor: Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Suzy Lopez

Status: Four diverted, nine pending

Campus police arrested three people on Apr. 29, according to local news. Police tear-gassed protesters and arrested 10 additional people on Apr. 30 for unlawful assembly, trespassing, resisting an officer, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony with a weapon, possession of a firearm on school property, and battery on a law enforcement officer.

Prosecutors with Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Suzy Lopez’s office sent four of the protest cases to diversion programs. Criminal cases against the remaining protesters are pending.

University officials subjected several students to suspensions and disciplinary sanctions for participating in the demonstrations. One student was forced to return to Colombia after the University of South Florida suspended him, since he could no longer meet the requirements for his student visa.

Lopez, a tough-on-crime Republican who was appointed to the position two years ago by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is running for election against her predecessor, Democrat Andrew Warren. DeSantis removed Warren from the position in 2022 after Warren pledged not to prosecute abortion or gender transition cases. 

University of Texas at Austin, Texas

Prosecutor: Travis County Attorney Delia Garza

Status: 136 dismissed

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office arrested 57 people on Apr. 25, local news reported. University police and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested an additional 79 people on Apr. 29, according to local news.

Travis County Attorney Delia Garza dismissed the charges against all 136 protesters, citing a lack of probable cause. 

Garza, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year and is unopposed.

University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin

Prosecutor: Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne

Status: Three dismissed, one diverted, 30 released without charges

University of Wisconsin-Madison police, Wisconsin State Patrol, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Madison Police Department arrested 34 people on May 1, according to a statement from the university. Many were released with no citation, the university said, but four were charged with attempting to disarm a police officer, resisting arrest, attempted escape, and battery to a police officer.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne’s office dismissed the charges against three protesters, citing a lack of evidence. 

In one case, police charged a protester with felony battery against a law enforcement official for allegedly hitting an officer in the face with a skateboard. Ozanne said a review of video evidence showed that did not happen. 

Prosecutors sent another protester to a diversion program, meaning the charges will be dismissed if he complies with the terms of the program.

Ozanne, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year and is unopposed.

Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

Prosecutor: St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell

Status: 100 referred for charges

On Apr. 27, 100 people were arrested on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, and assault, the university said. Police were filmed severely beating a professor.

When asked about the status of the protest cases on Nov. 1, outgoing St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell’s office told The Appeal: “We will announce any charging decisions we make after we make them.”

Bell is leaving the county prosecutor post to unseat incumbent U.S. Congress member Cori Bush. Bell said he was inspired to run against her due to her criticism of Israel and he has been endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), among other groups. Bell won the Democratic primary in August.

Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan

Prosecutor: Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy

Status: 12 dismissed, one undetermined

Campus police arrested one person for disorderly conduct after students interrupted an Apr. 26 university meeting to demand the school divest from Israel, local news reported. Campus police arrested 12 additional people for trespassing, obstruction, resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer on May 30.

In September, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office dismissed the charges against five of the protesters arrested last May, citing insufficient evidence to pursue prosecutions, local news reported. 

In one instance, an officer alleged that a protester hit his shield, but a review of bodyworn camera footage showed that was untrue, Worthy said.

Worthy also dismissed the citations against the remaining protesters, local news reported.

Worthy, a Democrat, is running for reelection this year against Libertarian candidate Kerry Lee Morgan.

Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio

Prosecutor: Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Powers

Status: Two charged and dismissed by a grand jury, lesser charges remain pending

Campus police arrested two people on May 11 for misdemeanor trespassing and for allegedly committing crimes “while wearing disguise,” a felony originally enacted to crack down on the Ku Klux Klan, local news reported. They were wearing medical face masks. 

On May 13, a grand jury decided to drop the felony charges but did file misdemeanor trespassing charges. The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, which filed the felony charges, told local news the law had never previously been used against anyone.

Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Powers, a Republican, is running for election this year against Democratic challenger Connie Pillich.