19-02-2025
11 indicted on vandalism at CWRU after protest
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CLEVELAND (WJW) — Eleven people accused of vandalizing the Case Western Reserve University campus with red paint, months after a campus protest spurred by the Israel-Hamas war, have been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury:
Nathan George, 21
Quincy Purcell, 20
Elizabeth Sindhi, 20
Raissa Rih-Reh, 22
Benjamin Mullin-Vanneste, 22
Amelia Morris, 25
Neelan McMillian, 21
Kamal Alkayali, 21
Amir Wilson, 22
Jenna Muhieddine, 20
Sarah Selan, 22
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Each now faces counts of vandalism, breaking and entering and possessing criminal tools in the Nov. 8 incident, according to a Wednesday news release from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley.
Akayali was also indicted on a charge of telecommunications harassment, accused of repeatedly calling a university dean.
Prosecutors allege the group broke into the university near Euclid Avenue and Adelbert Road between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., according to the release.
They split into two groups, smearing red paint over several buildings and outdoor walkways and fixtures like the statue of retired Case professor Ignacio Ocasio, known as 'Doc Oc,' prosecutors said. They allegedly caused $400,000 in damages.
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The vandalism was reported months after campus protesters — organized by the student group Students for Justice in Palestine — called for the university to divest itself of Israeli investments, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Some of the vandalism included antisemitic language and symbols, university officials said at the time.
'Peaceful protests are a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy,' O'Malley is quoted in the release. 'When demonstrators cross over the line and commit criminal acts, it is our responsibility to hold those individuals accountable.'
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