TAMPA, Fla. — Multiple people were arrested on Tuesday after law enforcement deployed tear gas on a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of South Florida, according to university police. This comes amid protests across the state and nationwide on college campuses.
Many schools have released statements threatening participants with expulsion and telling them they will get arrested if protests become violent.
Here’s what we know so far about what happened and who was arrested:
USF protest on Wednesday
The protest at USF started Wednesday morning with people showing up with wooden shields, umbrellas and tents.
At 4:55 p.m., university police gave students a 15-minute warning, informing them they would be subject to tear gas and rubber bullets if they didn’t leave. At 5:10 p.m., police told demonstrators to disperse and arrested students if they refused to leave
At about 5:20 p.m., police deployed tear gas and a majority of students ran off.
The area was cleared by 6 p.m.
At 10:57 p.m., there was a reported bomb threat on campus, but it was resolved by 11:32 p.m., and there was no threat to campus.
Who was arrested? What charges do they face?
Daniel Powell
- Age: 32
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,150
- City listed on their address: St. Petersburg
Sarah Fayiz
- Age: 25
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Two charges of misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Two charges of misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,800
- City listed on their address: Tampa
Cameron Pressey
- Age: 27
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,150
- City listed on their address: Tampa
Leonardo Tilelli
- Age: 23
- Arrest Status: in jail
- Charges:
- Second-degree misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- First-degree Misdemeanor trespassing
- First-degree misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Felony resisting officer with violence
- Felony battery on a law enforcement officer
- Misdemeanor Charges: $250 bond
- First Degree Misdemeanor: $500
- Felonies: $5,000
- City listed on their address: Holmes Beach
Emmanuel Atmosfera
- Age: 21
- Arrest Status: in jail
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor disrupting school or lawful assemble
- Misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds after notice
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Felony resisting officer with violence
- Felony aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony with a weapon
- Misdemeanor Charges:$500 bond
- Felony Charges: $5,000 bond for resisting officer without violence and $7,500 for aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony with a weapon
- City listed on their address: Lake Worth
Bailey Wagner
- Age: 24
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,150
- City listed on their address: Land O' Lakes
Adnan Elyaman
- Age: 20
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,150
- City listed on their address: Ocala
Jake Geffon
- Age: 23
- Arrest Status: in jail
- Charges:
- Felony battery on a law enforcement officer
- Felony resisting an officer with violence
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor Charges: $500
- Felony Charges: $5,000
- City listed on their address: Treasure Island
Atah Othman
- Age: 39
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Felony possession of a firearm on school property
- Misdemeanor unlawful assembly
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $3,650
- City listed on their address: Plant City
Emmanuel Atmosfera, Jake Geffon and Leonardo Tilleli had their first court appearance on Wednesday. USF said Atmosfera and Tilleli are students at the university.
Courtney Benson represented the protesters in court.
"I do believe the protesters' intent was to remain peaceful. The officers came in and gave demands allegedly to disperse. I don’t believe that, based on the crowd there, they were able to disperse or were reasonably able to heed those demands made by the officers," Benson said.
Benson said she plans to file a motion giving students access to the university.
"I think that’s the goal of the protesters, to make noise and be heard and gain attention for the causes that they’re fighting for," she said.
The university said there has been an increase in law enforcement presence on campus this week, which will continue for commencement ceremonies.
USF protest on Monday
There was also a protest the day before near the campus library where three protesters were taken into custody. According to a statement from the university, staff said the protesters were part of the Tampa Bay Students of a Democratic Society, which was put on interim suspension last week.
Sebastian Martinez
- Age: 18
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Misdemeanor resisting officer without violence
- Bond: $1,000
- City listed on their address: Gainesville
Elizabeth Rowe
- Age: 23
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Misdemeanor trespassing
- Bond: $500
- City listed on their address: Tampa
Maria Hollenback
- Age: 29
- Arrest Status: released
- Charges:
- Felony battery on a law enforcement officer
- misdemeanor trespassing
- Bond: $5,500
- City listed on their address: Cocoa
Statewide
A couple hours north of Tampa, the University of Florida recently threatened student protesters with suspension and banishment from campus for three years.
Some of the rules for demonstrators at the university included prohibiting bullhorns or speakers, possessing weapons and protesting inside buildings.
There was a protest at the Gainsville campus on Monday where police arrested nine pro-Palestinian protesters. Eight out of the nine were released early Tuesday. The university has issued trespass orders against the nine arrested.
Up in the capitol, five protesters on Florida State University's campus were arrested Tuesday afternoon with two of the five confirmed to be students, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. One of the organizations behind the protest was the Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society, which used to be affiliated with the university before being suspended.