MINNEAPOLIS — On Wednesday, local prosecutors formally charged a pro-Palestinian activist with assault, while opting not to file charges against ten other individuals who had barricaded themselves inside an administrative building at the University of Minnesota earlier this week.
According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, a 23-year-old woman has been charged with fourth-degree assault and has since been released pending a future court appearance.
This individual, along with fellow protesters, reportedly entered Morrill Hall on Monday, where they locked themselves in and vandalized the premises, university officials stated. A detailed criminal complaint regarding the alleged assault was not available as of Wednesday.
During the protest, participants allegedly spray-painted the lenses of all internal security cameras, smashed interior windows, and barricaded both the entrance and exit of the building. Jake Ricker, a spokesperson for the University of Minnesota, mentioned that several staff members were present in the building at the time and were trapped for an extended duration.
The protesters insisted that they were not obstructing access to or from the building.
Demands by the protesters included calls for the university to divest from Israel and to repeal its agreement on political neutrality. Similar protests have occurred at various college campuses, raising questions regarding free speech and antisemitism, as students urged their institutions to sever ties with Israel or businesses they claim support the military actions in Gaza.
Authorities apprehended eleven individuals, who were held for nearly 36 hours. Under Minnesota law, prosecutors have a timeline of 36 hours to file charges following an arrest. Ricker reported that eight of those arrested are current students, while three are alumni.
“The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office received 11 case submissions Wednesday morning concerning the arrests at the University of Minnesota earlier this week, leading to immediate release from custody while a review is conducted,” the office stated in a press release. “Following our review, we have deferred decisions on felony-level charges for ten individuals pending further investigation to establish any connections between specific individuals and the alleged actions, damages, and associated costs.”
An inquiry is still active, and depending on what authorities find, the ten individuals who currently have deferred charges could potentially face legal repercussions in the future, as noted by the County Attorney’s Office.