An Arizona judge has denied a motion that would have lifted the suspensions of 20 students arrested during anti-Israel protests last week.
According to local media ABC 15, the U.S. District Court in Arizona on Friday rejected an Arizona State University student’s motion to lift the university’s suspension.
The defendants filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents on Tuesday, claiming that ASU’s suspension caused them “irreparable harm” because they were unable to attend classes.
Protesters call for ‘amnesty’, universities crack down on anti-Israel agitators
Protesters and law enforcement officers face off on the Alumni Lawn on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. (King Covarrubias Jr./USA TODAY NETWORK)
The students accused of trespassing also claimed that the suspension violated their First Amendment rights.
On April 26, approximately 72 people were arrested and detained as protests continued on the Arizona State University campus.
Police cleared the Old Main Lawn area overnight – and those arrested included students and staff.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters calling for an end to the fighting in Gaza gathered on the Arizona State University Tempe campus, with some planning to camp out overnight on April 26, 2024. (Rey Covarrubias Jr./The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Judge John Tucci ruled that the students did not provide sufficient evidence that their First Amendment rights were violated.
He also ruled there was insufficient evidence to show the university caused “irreparable harm” by suspending the student. The trespassing charges at the heart of the lawsuit have not yet been filed in court.
Students and teachers are demanding that the school drop any charges against protesters whose demonstrations have continued since the arrests.
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ASU alum Tatir Alimam speaks as students gather on the Alumni Lawn on ASU’s Tempe campus for a news conference about protests on campus. (Megan Mendoza/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Another higher education institution in the state, the University of Arizona, has also been involved in the fight to suppress protesters who occupied areas of campus.
University President Robert C. Robbins said in a May 1 statement that he directed university officials, campus police, Tucson police and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office to “immediately enforce campus use policies and All applicable laws without prior notice.”
State troopers were seen on campus carrying pepper ball guns and gas masks. Demonstrators were initially given a 10.30pm deadline to leave or face arrest, but arrests did not begin until much later.
