Rutgers-Newark student arrested after hanging pro-Israel signs near pro-Palestinian camp

A Rutgers University law student faces disorderly conduct charges for “actions during counter-protests” last week at a pro-Palestinian camp on the Rutgers Newark campus, school officials said.

The 31-year-old student from New York was arrested on Thursday at the protest site at Rutgers-Newark, a university spokeswoman said.

The counter-protester was taping posters to trees that read, “Stand with Israel, stand with America” ​​and “Hamas are dirty savages” when he clashed with Rutgers University police and Newark officers and began shouting how from a video of the incident.

The pro-Palestinian camp was set up last Wednesday in front of the university’s Center for Law and Justice building. The camp is overseen by the Newark Solidarity Coalition, a group that includes both Newark students and community members.

More than a dozen people have been sleeping in tents at the camp between University Avenue and Washington Street for nearly a week. They are calling on Rutgers to divest from investments in companies that profit from the Israel-Hamas war and are advocating on several Newark-related issues.

According to Cory Rothbort, his attorney, the arrested student is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and is currently completing his law degree at Rutgers-Newark.

“In response to the offensive, anti-Semitic and anti-American camps that Rutgers has allowed on its campus, our client has posted his own posters denouncing Hamas, including a poster directly above one that reads, “Hamas are dirty savages.” Camp poster saying ‘Globalize the Intifada,'” Rothbort said.

“For this, our client was arrested by the Rutgers police and accused of solicitation. At the same time, Rutgers allowed the camp and its posters to continue unhindered. Rutgers wasted no time in initiating disciplinary proceedings against our client before he even had a chance to defend himself in court. We vehemently deny these allegations, which clearly violate the First Amendment,” Rothbort said.

According to video from last Thursday’s incident, the counterprotester was taping signs to trees when he was approached by Rutgers University police and Newark officers. The student began yelling at police and said he would post his signs until he was arrested.

“’Stand with Israel, Stand with America’ is inflammatory? Why is “Stand with Israel, Stand with America” being torn down? “Why is an American flag being torn down on an American campus?” the law student shouted, pointing to his signs.

According to video of the incident, officers removed the posters from the trees and placed them on the ground before the student was arrested.

A Rutgers spokeswoman did not immediately respond when asked what the school’s policy is regarding hanging signs on campus.

Under Rutgers University rules, a public university cannot regulate speech in public forums and must remain neutral on the topic and viewpoint, the university’s website says.

However, individuals may violate University rules if they: unreasonably violate the rights of others to freedom of expression at demonstrations, events or programs; threaten individuals or cause harm to anyone; or harass, threaten violence, or intimidate others.

Executives with the Newark Solidarity Coalition, the group that monitors the Rutgers-Newark encampment, said they did not interact with the counterprotester when he began hanging signs and yelling.

“We will not work as a coalition or group with people like that,” said a member of the Newark Solidarity Coalition who did not want to be identified.

Rutgers-Newark Senior Vice Chancellor Peter Englot said Tuesday that the protest on campus was peaceful.

“Our top priority is the safety of our students, faculty and staff. The protest on our campus remains peaceful. “As an anchor institution in Newark and a committed collaborator with many community partners, Rutgers-Newark is engaged in serious dialogue with protesters about the concerns they have raised,” Englot said in a statement.

Dov Ben-Shimon, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, the largest Jewish community organization in New Jersey, argued that the pro-Israel and anti-Hamas signs the student hung were constitutionally protected political speech.

“It is our understanding that despite repeated requests from law students to move the ‘camp’ to Newark, which disrupts exam classes and exams, the school is taking no action,” Ben-Shimon said.

Students were verbally attacked and threatened by the pro-Palestinian camp, but the only person arrested was a student who supported Jewish students, he claimed.

“Rutgers-Newark has a shameful history of failing to protect its Jewish students, ignoring pleas from Jewish community leaders to ensure the safety of Jews on campus, and dismissing these concerns.” We call on the administration to do better make. Immediately,” said Ben-Shimon.

Rutgers University is on a list of schools under investigation by Congress for alleged anti-Semitism. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway was called to testify before Congress later this month about how the school handled a similar pro-Palestinian camp on the Rutgers-New Brunswick campus last week.

The encampment in New Brunswick was broken up by protesters on Thursday after the university agreed to some of their demands.

The Rutgers-Newark protesters have their own list of demands, including calling on the university to withdraw funds from Israel-affiliated companies and put the money back into the local community.

Protesters also have a list of Newark-related demands, including more resources for free public housing, legal services for low-income residents and free health care for city residents.

The Newark Solidarity Coalition said Tuesday its members were still in negotiations with Rutgers-Newark officials.

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Jackie Roman can be contacted at [email protected].