Seven pro-Palestinian ISU student protesters arrested last May for trespassing accepted a plea deal in court yesterday.
The seven pro-Palestinian ISU student protesters arrested last May for occupying Hovey Hall after hours in protest to the Universities investments in apartheid Israel – collectively known as the ISU71 – plead guilty to one count of Criminal Trespass to a Building, a class B Misdemeanor. They were sentenced to eighteen months court supervision and over $700 in fines. After eighteen months of good behavior, the conviction will be removed from their record. Court supervision is not the same as probation. Another charge, Criminal Trespass to State Land (a Class A Misdemeanor) was dropped by the prosecution.
The ISU7, represented pro bono by Sheryl Weikal, filed a civil suit against the University for the arrest arguing it violated the student’s first amendment rights. In response to disciplinary punishment from the University which would have required students to write an essay explaining proper ways to protest on campus, Weikal filed a restraining order arguing it would violate the students’ fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. The Illinois Attorney General took over the civil case on behalf of the University and removed the case to Federal Court. There is no trial date scheduled yet for the civil case.
Agitation Rising reached out to Ms. Weikal asking how this guilty plea would affect the students’ civil case and the restraining order filed against the university. She declined to comment.
As previously reported, on May 3rd, 2024, Pro-Palestinian peace activists were protesting outside Illinois State University President Andover Tarhule’s office on the fourth floor of Hovey Hall. Activists have been calling for the University to divulge & divest in all companies that profit off of apartheid Israel. The protest was part of a series of actions organized by Students for Justice in Palestine ISU. These actions included an encampment on the ISU Quad similar to other pro-Palestine encampments on Universities across the nation.
Students had been occupying the building the entire day. Students were told two times by ISU’s Safety Demonstration Team (SDT) that failure to leave the building by 6PM would result in arrest & suspension. The Safety Demonstration Team warned students again after 6PM. Students were warned a fourth time by Dean of Students Andy Morgan and a fifth time by ISU Chief of Police Aaron Woodruff.
Students chose to stay in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. All universities in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli forces.
After their final refusal to leave, Chief Woodruff called in Normal Police Department and Bloomington Police Department officers to arrest the seven peace activists. They were arrested and charged with one count of Criminal Trespass to State Land (a Class A Misdemeanor) and Criminal Trespass to Building (a Class B Misdemeanor).
The ISU7 were also placed on an interim suspension pending university disciplinary proceedings. They were banned from all ISU property and unable to participate in classes or take finals, including virtual classes (though the grad students who were teaching classes were still expected to interact with their students and grade papers). One student who lived in the dorms was kicked out rendering him temporarily homeless. Those students who had not already taken their finals prior to their arrest & suspension received failing grades for those classes.
The ISU7 include: Jomareun Richardson (21), Joseph Bloom-Boedefeld (21), Daniel Kimball (20), Steven Lazarov (40), Rebekah Mangels (23), Kevin Dion (20), and Aiden Marcikic (20).
