A judge in Providence, Rhode Island, has just released more than 40 Brown University students who were arrested in December for trespassing in a campus building. The school did not drop the charges against them, but the judge gave them a free pass.
I’m sure the students will learn a lot from this experience. Also, our justice system treats everyone completely equal under the law, so stop asking questions about it.
The Public’s Radio reported:
Judge issues not guilty filing for 41 Brown University student protestersA Providence judge has issued a not guilty filing for 41 Brown University pro-Palestinian protestors who were arrested for trespassing last semester.Judge Nicholas Parrillo said he was going against the objections of the city of Providence and Brown University in issuing the not guilty filing to the protestors because none of them had a criminal record, and because he said he thinks they held a respectful protest.“I think this is a reflection of what nonviolent and peaceful resistance, frankly, is supposed to look like,” he said.A not guilty filing means that the students will have to stay out of legal trouble for the next six months. If they do that, the charges against them will be completely cleared after that period of time. An attorney for the students told them it was significant.The university did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
This was the scene back in December.
Flash forward to now, and there are no consequences.
More from the Brown Daily Herald:
The decision followed three months of deliberations after initial arraignments in February, when all 41 students pled not guilty to charges of “willful trespassing within school buildings,” The Herald previously reported.“I’m glad my peers and I are not going to have records,” said Kate Kuli ’25, one of the arrested demonstrators. “At the same time, I wish that Brown would have made the decision to drop the charges.”In April, Brown refused to drop these charges in multiple rounds of negotiations with students encamping in support of divestment, despite a formal recommendation by the Brown University Community Council, a University advisory body.Three City Council members also urged the Solicitor’s office to drop the charges in an April 29 letter, The Herald previously reported.
A message is being sent here. It’s not the right message, but it’s loud and clear.
Featured image via YouTube.
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