A Rutgers University law student is facing a disorderly conduct charge for “actions taken while counter-protesting” at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the Rutgers-Newark campus last week, school officials said.
The 31-year-old student from New York was arrested Thursday at the Rutgers-Newark protest site, a university spokeswoman said.
The counter-protester was taping up posters on trees that read “Stand with Israel, Stand with America” and “Hamas are dirty savages” when he clashed with Rutgers University Police and Newark officers and began shouting, according to video of the incident.
The pro-Palestinian encampment was set up last Wednesday outside the university’s Center for Law and Justice building. The encampment is being overseen by Newark Solidarity Coalition, a group that includes both students and community members from Newark.
More than a dozen people have been sleeping overnight in tents at the encampment between University Avenue and Washington Street for nearly a week. They are calling for Rutgers to divest its investments from companies profiting from the Israel-Hamas war and advocating for several Newark-related issues.
The arrested student is a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Afghanistan and is currently finishing law school at Rutgers-Newark, according to Cory Rothbort, his attorney.
“In response to the offensive, antisemitic and anti-American encampments which Rutgers has allowed on its campus, our client put up his own posters denouncing Hamas, including a poster stating ‘Hamas Are Dirty Savages’ directly above an encampment poster which read ‘Globalize the Intifada,’” said Rothbort.
“For that, our client was arrested by Rutgers police and accused of incitement. Simultaneously, Rutgers has allowed the encampment and its posters to continue unimpeded. Rutgers has wasted no time starting disciplinary proceedings against our client before our client even has a chance to defend himself in Court. We vehemently deny these charges, which plainly violate the First Amendment,” said Rothbort.
The counter-protester was taping up posters on trees when he was approached by Rutgers University Police and Newark officers, according to video of last Thursday’s incident. The student began shouting at police and said he would post his signs until he was arrested.
“‘Stand with Israel, Stand with America’ is inflammatory? Why is ‘Stand with Israel, Stand with America’ being ripped down? Why is an American flag being ripped down on an American campus?” the law student shouted, referring to his signs.
Officers removed the posters from the trees and laid them on the ground before the student was arrested, according to the video of the incident.
A Rutgers spokeswoman did not immediately respond when asked what the school’s policy is on hanging signs on campus.
Under Rutgers University’s rules, a public university cannot regulate speech in public forums and must remain neutral in subject matter and viewpoint, according to the university’s website.
However, individuals may be found in violation of the university’s rules if they: unreasonably infringe on others’ rights to free expression at demonstrations, events or programs; threaten individuals or cause an injury to someone; or harass, threaten violence or intimidate others.
Leaders with Newark Solidarity Coalition, the group overseeing the Rutgers-Newark encampment, said they did not interact with the counter protester when he began hanging signs and shouting.
“We will not engage with people like that as a coalition or a group,” said a member of Newark Solidarity Coalition who asked not to be named.
Rutgers-Newark Senior Vice Chancellor Peter Englot said Tuesday the campus protest has been peaceful.
“Our highest priority is the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. The protest on our campus remains peaceful. As an anchor institution in Newark and committed collaborator with many community partners, Rutgers-Newark is earnestly engaging in dialogue with the protestors over the concerns they’ve expressed,” Englot said in a statement.
Dov Ben-Shimon, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, the largest Jewish community organization in New Jersey, argued the pro-Israel and anti-Hamas signs the student was hanging were constitutionally protected political speech.
“It is our understanding that despite repeated requests from the law students to move the Newark ‘encampment,’ which is disrupting exam study and exams, the school is doing nothing,” Ben-Shimon said.
Students are being verbally assaulted and threatened by the pro-Palestinian encampment, but the only person arrested has been a student supporting Jewish students, he alleged.
“Rutgers-Newark has a shameful history of not protecting its Jewish students, of ignoring the pleas of Jewish community leaders to see to the safety of Jews on campus, and of dismissing these concerns. We call on the administration to do better. Immediately,” Ben-Shimon said.
Rutgers University is on a list of schools under investigation by Congress for alleged antisemitism. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway has been called on to testify before Congress later this month about how the school handled a similar pro-Palestinian encampment on the Rutgers-New Brunswick campus last week.
The New Brunswick encampment was dismantled Thursday by protesters after the university agreed to some of the their demands.
The Rutgers-Newark protesters have their own list of demands, including asking the university to divest funds from companies tied to Israel and put the money back into the local community.
The protesters also have a list of Newark-related demands, including more resources for free public housing, legal services for low-income residents and free health care for city residents.
The Newark Solidarity Coalition said Tuesday its members are still in negotiations with Rutgers-Newark officials.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
