55 protesters arrested during IU Gaza protests will not be charged

BLOOMINGTON – The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office has announced it will not file charges against the 55 people arrested on the Indiana University campus during protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in April.

Protesters were arrested at Dunn Meadow on April 25 and 27 after reportedly refusing to dismantle tents and canopies, structures that violated university safety policies.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | 33 people arrested during Gaza protests on Indiana University campus

33 people arrested during Gaza protests on Indiana University campus

The public prosecutor’s office commented on the allegations as follows:

“The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office has reviewed all reports, affidavits, videos and photographs submitted by the Indiana University Police Department and the Indiana State Police and declines to file charges against 55 individuals arrested on April 25 and 27, 2024, for trespassing at IU’s Dunn Meadow. Based on the facts and circumstances of these arrests, including, among other things, the constitutionally questionable process by which the University adopted and enforced its new policy regarding structures at Dunn Meadow, it is unlikely that the State will be able to convict these individuals at trial. Such an attempt would be a poor use of limited resources and would be entirely contrary to the reasonable exercise of prosecutorial discretion.”

In response to the arrests, the university was also sued by the ACLU of Indiana.

READ MORE | ACLU of Indiana sues Indiana University over campus bans following protests (wrtv.com)

The ACLU alleges that the university violated the First Amendment rights of three people who face a one-year ban from campus for participating in the protests.

The lawsuit calls for the bans to be lifted to allow the plaintiffs access to campus and to enable them to participate in current and future protests.