Eight anti-Israel protesters who caused millions of dollars' worth of damage in violent demonstrations on the campus of City College in Upper Manhattan pleaded not guilty Thursday to a string of charges, including two who assaulted campus public safety officers.
They are charged with third-degree theft and other related offenses following clashes between police and protesters who were deployed to clear an “intifada” encampment at the City University of New York this spring.
All eight defendants, most of whom appeared in court wearing face masks and kefir scarves, pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned on a unanimous indictment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Defendants Nora Faiad, Amelia Fuller, Miranda Levin, Astrid Terrazas, Luis Alberto Cadena, Rudy Martinez, Jonathan Lampagoa and Jacob Gabriel and their lawyers declined to comment.
Martinez, a Guttman faculty member, is affiliated with CUNY.
Two of the protesters, Lampagoa and Gabriel, are also facing assault charges for allegedly throwing a bicycle and a computer keyboard at NYPD police officers.
“Everyone returning to campus this fall has the right to feel safe and secure, and today's felony indictments make clear that, with the proper facts and evidence, we will not hesitate to prosecute those who destroy property or commit violence at any protest,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Bragg said the department is working with the NYPD and local universities in preparation for further student protests expected later this year, and will “continue to pursue incidents ranging from peaceful and lawful protest to illegal activity.”
Police swarmed the Harlem campus on April 30 and eight protesters were arrested after students and outside agitators set up a tent city to protest Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
During a violent clash with police, a protester threw a flare that set the roof of the CUNY administration building on fire, causing $350,000 worth of damage, CUNY Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista testified before the City Council in May.
Vandals broke windows, chairs and other furniture inside the building, causing an additional $250,000 in damage, and spray painted security cameras in an attempt to avoid detection, causing another $600,000 in damage, Batista said.
The school has been forced to take additional security measures, “which will result in expenses of over $3 million,” Batista said.
The defendants are each charged with one felony count of third-degree burglary and one felony count of tampering with physical evidence, as well as four misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and possession of burglary tools.
