Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein announced Saturday that she was arrested while protesting the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.
More than 80 people were arrested Saturday after “refusing to leave despite repeated questions,” according to a statement from Washington University in St. Louis.
“All will be charged with trespassing, and some may also be charged with resisting arrest and assault, including assault on a police officer,” the school said in a statement.
Stein's campaign account posted a video of the candidate being escorted off campus by two police officers, with his hands apparently tied behind his back. Her campaign announced that she was arrested along with her campaign manager, Jason Cole, and her deputy campaign manager, Kelly Merrill Cayer.
Stein and other protesters were released from the St. Louis County Jail around 2 a.m., according to her campaign account.
The St. Louis County Jail referred The Hill to the university for further confirmation.
The protests came amid a wave of similar anti-Israel protests on university campuses, ultimately forcing administrators to order police to make arrests.
A WashU statement said a “large group” arrived on campus on Saturday with “the intent to cause significant disruption to the university.” After the group “began setting up camp in violation of university policy, we made the decision to inform everyone present that they needed to leave.”
“We are firmly committed to freedom of expression and provide ample opportunity for voices to be heard on campus. However, we expect everyone to respect our policies and We intend to take swift action to fully enforce it,” the university statement said.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
