Grand jury indicts 14 UT Dallas pro-Palestinian protesters, 7 have charges dismissed
The Brief
14 of the 21 people arrested last May after a pro-Palestinian protest on the UT Dallas campus have been indicted.
They're now facing a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of a passageway.
Charges were dropped against 7 of the people who were arrested.
RICHARDSON, Texas - A Collin County grand jury indicted more than a dozen people because of last year's pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Dallas.
What we know
The grand jury decided to charge 14 of the 21 people who were arrested in May.
Prosecutors said they built an encampment with tents, tarps, wooden structures, tires, chains, and other materials on the UTD campus.
The university asked them to remove the structures because they were blocking pedestrian walkways.
Some protesters refused to clear the area and instead locked arms. They were arrested for criminal trespassing.
After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury charged them with obstruction of a passageway, which is a Class B misdemeanor.
All charges were dropped against seven of the protesters.
What they're saying
"Free speech is protected. Blocking access and refusing lawful commands is not," said District Attorney Greg Willis. "These charges reflect that a clear line exists between protest and unlawful disruption."
What we don't know
The DA's office didn't release information about why some of the charges were dismissed.
The Source
The information in this story comes from the Collin County District Attorney's Office.
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