The Wayne County Prosecutor has announced that no charges will be filed against five individuals arrested during a protest advocating for Palestinian rights at Wayne State University earlier this year. The protests, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, included an encampment on campus and resulted in various tickets and arrests on May 30. However, subsequent review of the events has led the prosecutor's office to a decision of non-prosecution.
"The right to peacefully protest and demonstrate is deeply woven into the American fabric. The WCPO has thoroughly studied and examined these cases and we have determined that they do not rise of the level of criminal behavior," Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated in a release, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Tickets issued to some protesters will also be dismissed, according to the announcement.
One incident of contention occurred near Atchison Hall on WSU's campus, where a 22-year-old student protester was taken to the ground by police while using a bullhorn during the demonstration, a move that seemingly targeted her First Amendment rights to free speech. Additionally, a 53-year-old mother attempting to assist her daughter, and a 19-year-old student who was arrested as her hijab came off were both implicated in the same incident. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, these arrests occurred on what can be considered publicly accessible sidewalks, thus muddying the waters as to whether a trespass had even occurred.
Following a review that involved assessing body camera footage and police reports, the prosecutor found "insufficient evidence" to prove that any of the individuals in question were guilty of trespassing, a move that echoes a broader concern for the delineation between public and private property in urban centres. "The 22-year-old protester was singled out because she had a bullhorn, exercising her First Amendment right to free speech, not because of an alleged trespass," the Prosecutor's office clarified, as stated by clickondetroit.
The second incident included the arrest of a 20-year-old woman, accused of cursing at officers and filming them with her cellphone, an action leading to her being forcefully taken behind police lines. It was alleged she had stricken an officer's shield. However, the review of body camera footage did not corroborate the officer’s claim. A 24-year-old man who attempted to assist the woman was also charged for resisting and obstructing a police officer after being pushed to the ground and stiffening his arms. The Wayne County Prosecutor's office later concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant any charges against him, too.
All of this, according to the prosecutor's office, stems from the understanding that demonstrations rooted in non-violence should not be impeded by legal actions that are unwarranted by the facts. "The WCPO has thoroughly studied and examined these cases and we have determined that they do not rise of the level of criminal behavior. We will not be charging any of these criminal case requests that have been presented to us. We will also be asking that the tickets issued to some of the protesters be dismissed. I want to make it exceedingly clear that this office will not ever tolerate protesters that engage in behavior that is not peaceful or turns violent in any way. But that is not present in these cases," the office stated affirmatively, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
