Eleven people were released from the Hennepin County Jail on Wednesday following their arrests at a protest on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus on Monday calling for divestment from Israel.
Prosecutors charged 23-year-old Robyn Harbison with fourth-degree assault. Harbison is a U of M alum and was released from custody pending a future court date, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The other 10 people arrested are not facing charges at this time.
“After review, decisions on felony-level charges in 10 cases have been deferred pending additional routine investigation, including any information connecting specific individuals to specific acts, damages, and costs,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
About 30 people waited outside the jail to greet the 11 arrestees as they left on Wednesday. The group of arrestees included eight current students and three recent graduates, according to student organizers.
The 11 protesters entered Morrill Hall on the university’s Twin Cities campus on Monday, following a student march calling on the university to divest from Israel and weapons manufacturers. Students were also protesting campus policies limiting protests to certain hours and locations.
“We’re gonna keep being here as long as it takes for the university to divest its weapons manufacturer investments and bonds from Israel,” Harbison said after being released from jail Wednesday.
The arrested protesters were among those who occupied Morrill Hall on Monday, blocking some entrances and exits with furniture and bike locks. Campus administrators say protesters spray painted over security cameras and broke windows inside.
Police entered the building later that evening and made arrests. Students continued protests over recent days following the arrests, rallying outside the Hennepin County Jail and leading rallies on campus.
Spitting on the police at a protest won’t do anything for divestment, won’t hurt Israel, and won’t attract any kind of positive attention to what you’re trying to do. Mostly what it’ll do is potentially get you messed up by the cops and maybe get a felony.
Sure, but fuck the police.
That’s funny, I could have sworn I heard the police say, “Sure, but fuck the protestors,” right before they shot one of them in the balls with a 40mm beanbag round.
What an all-around productive process. I’m glad it is that way.
The police are an arm of the bourgeoisie. The US defense contractors that are profiting off of this genocide in Israel are the same defense contractors that make and sell 40mm beanbag rounds to the police. These are the same defense contractors that lobby Congress to keep this “war” going, because it makes their profits go up-up-up. The police do not protect us, they exist to protect the bourgeoisie. when i say “fuck the police” it’s because we know from decades of history that there is nothing to be gained by cooperating with the police.
When did I say cooperating? I think the point that I’m making is pretty self-evident and you are collapsing things down to a “with us or against us” framework which is hostile to progress. Which is what the cops do, incidentally. I’ll try one more time.
Things that can be gained by non-cooperation with the police, by having the protest in the first place:
That part sounds great.
Things that can be gained by spitting on the police during your protest:
That’s the part I am critical of.