May 03, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Twelve of the 13 people arrested after a pro-Palestinian protest at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Monday were arraigned on two misdemeanor charges each Friday morning. 13 people, including six VCU students, were arrested the night of Monday, April 29, after the Richmond Police Department declared that protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and VCU's divestment from Israel were participating in an unlawful assembly outside of the James Cabell Library. The arrangement for most of these protesters was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, May 3, in the Richmond John Marshall General District Court. What happened in court on Friday? According to court documents obtained by 8News, all 13 protesters face the same two charges -- trespassing on VCU property after being forbidden to do so and participating in an unlawful assembly. Both are class 1 misdemeanors. PREVIOUS: What’s the line between a student’s right to protest and a violation of the law? 12 of them were arraigned on Friday on these charges. Of those 12 people, nine have been scheduled for an adjudicatory hearing -- the next procedural step towards setting a trial date -- at 9 a.m. on June 28. According to court documents, those scheduled for that court date include Kent Green, Daijah Eames, Benjamin Harris, Ellen Opsal, Melisse Ilhan, Sarah Butler, Julianne O'Brien, Anna Merlene and Donovan Berry. Three of them, Jude Namez, Rafal Al Molhem and Taylor Clement, did not have an attorney at the time of their arrangement and therefore have been scheduled for an attorney review at 9 a.m. on May 10. PREVIOUS: Faculty and staff condemn VCU’s decision to deploy police on pro-Palestinian protest on campus One protester, Oscar Ferguson-Osbourne, was not scheduled to be arraigned Friday. He will be arraigned on at 8:30 a.m. on May 6, according to court documents. Within the court documents available to 8News, four of the protesters were identified as VCU students in their bail determination forms. All but one of the protesters has posted bail. One remains in custody. What happened the day of the protest? Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside of the library early Monday morning, forming what they called a "Liberation Zone." Law enforcement moved to break up the protest just after 8 p.m., clashing with protesters. Officers with both the Richmond Police Department and VCU Police used pepper spray on protesters, but have denied using any other chemical agents, such as tear gas. Multiple protesters reported injuries, such as organizer Sereen Haddad, who had a black eye. According to law enforcement, protesters threw water bottles at police and deployed a "chemical spray" of some kind, this is what prompted Richmond Police officers to declare an unlawful assembly. PREVIOUS: VCU students condemn university for response to protests However, protesters have repeatedly denied this, saying this did not begin until after police moved in on the line of protesters. Additionally, 8News crews at the scene did not see any bottles thrown until after the unlawful assembly was declared. Haddad has also denied being told to disperse or being told what would happen if the protesters did not disperse. For all of our coverage on this protest and what has come after, click here.
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