Education

3K arrested at campus protests, but most charges dropped: Report

(NewsNation) — More than 3,100 people were arrested or detained during campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war this year, The New York Times reports, though many charges have been dropped.

Most students faced charges of trespassing or disturbing the peace, while others were charged with resisting arrest, per the publication.

Delia Garza, the prosecutor of Travis County, Texas, told The New York Times that she dropped criminal trespassing charges against more than 100 people arrested at the University of Texas at Austin. Garza noted that such offenses are minor, nonviolent and aren’t a priority for prosecutors.

However, some prosecutors are focused on those facing charges of destroying property and looting, according to the report.

While many no longer face legal troubles, the report said some students have been banned from their campuses or are unable to graduate.

Protesters were detained at more than 70 schools in at least 30 states, ranging from Arizona State University, with its 80,000 students, to the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, with 4,000 students, according to data collected by the newspaper.