32 protesters arrested, including a member of the press and a university professor
By Brad Butterfield
Update: as of 8 p.m. April 30, Cal Poly Humboldt says 32 people have been arrested.
Some names have been changed to protect identities.
After a week-long pro-Palestine protest at Cal Poly Humboldt, multiple law enforcement agencies descended onto campus grounds on Monday around 10:00 p.m. An audio message blared through a sound system strapped atop a University Police Department vehicle threatening use of plastic, rubber bullets, and chemical agents on protesters for over five hours. Eventually, around 3:30 a.m., hundreds of police officers dressed in full riot gear swarmed campus, arresting over 30 protesters, including students and at least one Cal Poly Humboldt professor.
On Monday evening, April 22, protesters took control of the quad area, Siemens Hall, and Nelson Hall. Over the course of a week, entrance points to the quad had been fortified with dumpsters, chairs, doors, office furniture, tape, rope, and chain. Tents filled the grassy areas surrounding Siemens and Nelson Halls. Chalk, markers, and spray paint covered both pavement and wall surface-areas with messages making the protesters’ conviction and commitment to their cause clear: “Free Gaza,” “Stop Funding Genocide,” “Silence is violence.” were among the messages written by protesters.
Despite a coordinated police response surveillance system set by the protesters, the exact time the police would arrive, remained unclear. The inevitable police response finally arrived around 10 p.m. on Monday, with a University Police Department vehicle threatening protesters with rubber, plastic bullets and chemical agents should they refuse to disperse from campus grounds.
The Chief of the University Police Department Peter Cress’ voice rang periodically throughout the protest grounds for over five hours as hundreds of protesters braced for impact, wearing bike helmets, goggles, and masks. Spirits remained high among the protesters through the night and early morning, with a protest ‘medic’ handing out cigarettes as well as snacks and beverages. Other protesters used the high beams of the UPD police vehicle to perform circus-like performances for the officers.
Still, memories of last Monday’s violent police response to protesters were fresh in some minds. Nerves were high amongst the group of protesters.
“I’m scared. I don’t want to get tear gassed. I don’t want to get hit with rubber bullets. I just think I it’s cowardice on the part of the university,” said student Jacob Fullen.
For some, the consequences of an arrest could not be overstated.
“I’m probably one of the most vulnerable. I’m not an American citizen. My arrest might result in me losing my job. My arrest might result in me being deported. So the consequences are unimaginable,” Rouhallah Aghasaleh, an assistant professor in the school of education at Cal Poly Humboldt said.
Aghasaleh could be seen calmly praying as threats of kinetic projectiles and chemical agents echoed throughout the quad. The typically calm campus grounds of higher were now a dystopian scene that would inevitably be branded into Cal Poly Humboldt’s history.
“I don’t personally care about Siemens hall or about Tom Jackson. I care about Palestine,” student Cindy Alcon said. “My people are here, and I’m gonna be here and stand by them whether or not I agree with what they’re doing, because this is my community, and I love them and I think that that’s what matters right now.”
Cress’ announcement continued until 3:00 a.m., failing for 5 hours to follow through on the promise of rubber, plastic bullets and chemical agents. By this time, the protest group, which stood hundreds strong at 10 p.m., had dwindled to less than 50 visually present.
At 3:01 a.m. the university released a shelter in place order due to “continued criminal activity.”
Then came the cavalry. Hundreds of police officers dressed in full riot gear methodically arrested, removed, and angered the protesters. At least one member of the press and Cal Poly Humboldt professor Dr. Aghasaleh, were among the (about) 35 arrested by the police who were brought in on “Humboldt State University” buses.
Aghasaleh released this statement upon his arrest:
“In defiance of our wrongful arrest, I have chosen to reject any bond and embark on a hunger strike. I refuse to accept the label of criminal for standing up for an ethical reason. Our arrest on a stolen land and in a place that we consider home is an act of violence.
Until all of my students and I are released and justice is served, I will endure this hunger strike as a testament to the strength of my convictions and unwavering commitment to truth and justice.”
At 6:57 a.m. on Tuesday, the University released an email stating that law enforcement had restored order at Cal Poly Humboldt.
“Law enforcement cleared and secured Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, as well as the area near those buildings. About 35 individuals were arrested, without incident. There were no injuries,” read a Humboldt Alert.
As hundreds of police officers forced protesters off campus grounds, pro-Palestine protesters continued chanting en masse.
“Free Gaza,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
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