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Dozens of anti-Israel protesters who occupied and barricaded themselves in buildings on the Columbia University campus in April had their charges dropped Thursday.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped cases against 30 students and staff members who were arrested during the campus unrest.
“All these matters are dismissed and sealed in the interest of justice,” Judge Kevin McGrath announced in the courtroom.
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New York police officers detained dozens of pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University after they barricaded themselves at the Hamilton Hall building near Gaza Solidarity Encampment earlier in New York on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
All the protesters were arrested on April 30, hours after taking over Hamilton Hall, an academic building, and were initially charged with trespass in the third degree, a misdemeanor.
Stephen Millan, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said there was insufficient evidence to show that any individual defendant damaged property or injured anyone. He noted the protesters wore masks and covered surveillance cameras, Reuters reported.
None of the students arrested had any prior criminal history, and all were facing disciplinary proceedings, including suspensions and expulsions, by Columbia University, prosecutors said.
“The Office is continuing to pursue cases from both campuses, including all assaults against police officers,” the DA’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Columbia and the City University of New York. “There are ongoing school disciplinary proceedings for the students who had their case dismissed.”
Columbia University declined to comment on the dropped cases when reached by Fox News Digital.
A maintenance crew member confronts demonstrators attempting to barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on April 30. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
The chaotic protests came amid similar demonstrations in which anti-Israel protesters set up illegal encampments on college campuses throughout the country over Israel’s war with Hamas. The protests intensified after Columbia issued mass suspensions.
Bragg’s office declined to drop the charges against another 13 defendants. Two of the 13 were Columbia students, and the other 11 had no affiliation with the school, although most were alumni.
Their cases would have been dropped if they avoided being arrested over the next six months. However, they rejected the offer and are scheduled to appear in court on July 25.
The office is bringing charges against James Carlson, who is not affiliated with Columbia, of criminal mischief and arson for setting an Israeli flag alight prior to the takeover and for damaging a police surveillance camera in jail.
A student waves a flag during a march on Columbia University campus in support of a protest encampment supporting Palestinians. (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)
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Carlson appeared in court with his attorney, who said that they planned to challenge the prosecution.
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