CHAMPAIGN – A pro-Palestinian protestor arrested at Friday’s encampment near the University of Illinois Alma Mater statue was released from Champaign County Jail after about 60 hours of detainment.
“It’s a very terrifying environment that I wouldn’t wish on any other human being,” said Chris Zelle after being released from Jail Monday afternoon.
Zelle is not affiliated with any organization but has been involved with many pro-Palestinian activism groups like Party for Socialism and Liberation.
He was arraigned on Monday, April 29th. Judge Brett Olmstead of the sixth circuit addressed the courtroom in person and addressed the defendants virtually.
Following a defendant with a domestic battery charge, Zelle was arraigned still in the clothes he was wearing since his arrest at Friday’s demonstration – a green t-shirt and khaki shorts.
Five people came to show support for Zelle. Two of them went to the jail upon his release to give him a cup of coffee and a ride home.
“When attempts at legislation and attempts at reform fail, seizing the streets seizing the town is a time honored American tradition. I’m proud to be part of and full solidarity with the students on campus for their demands,” said Zelle. “And this is despite the Chancellor’s words the absolute right way for us to do this.”
Zelle is being charged with 3 counts of felony charges. He faces one count of mob action and two counts of aggravated battery against a police officer for alleged actions during Friday’s demonstration near the Alma Mater statue.
“I had my hands in the air,” said Zelle. “I don’t hurt insects, I have never put my – in 37 years – I’ve never laid my hands on another human being. And I did not choose that opportunity to do it for the first time that afternoon.”
Papers provided to Zelle from Illinois’ Sixth Circuit Court say.. the defendant “grabbed” Campus Police Assistant Chief Barbara Robbins, “by her wrist and held her while she was trying to retreat from a crowd.”
“She asked me to move backwards, I told her I had tried and that there were too many people behind me,” said Zelle. “I had my hands in the air. And so she said I can move you and I said that’s fine. And she put her hands on my chest and she shoved me and her and the officers were able to push me back into the crowd.”
The mob action charge could mean a 3 year prison sentence. The aggravated assault charge could result in a 7 year prison sentence and a fine of up to 25-thousand-dollars. According to Public Defender Katy Giuffre, the sentences would be concurrent, so he would face a maximum of 7 years in prison.
“Assistant Chief Barb Robbins was at the rear of the line of officers and as she tried to retreat an individual she later identified as Zelle blocked her exit,” said Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz in an emailed statement to IPM. “She tried to push past him and he grabbed her wrist and used his body to block her from exiting. She was able to pull free from him and exit the crowd.”
Zelle was released under the supervision of the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services. Giuffrey says he is not allowed to be on university property.
“I’m gonna go take a hot shower until my hot water heater runs out and get a good meal and then work with my family and decompress and figure it out one day at a time,” said Zelle.
Guiffre is not assigned to Zelle as his public defender. She was assigned to the courtroom at the time of his arraignment. His public defender is subject to change, and Guiffre says it is still too early to have any idea how the case will go so far.
“We’ll stay in touch with Mr. Zelle to discuss his case,” said Guiffre. “Discuss how we might move forward after a preliminary hearing, and, and basically stay in touch with him, determine his priorities, you know, receive our discovery from the state and move forward in that fashion.”
His next pretrial hearing is set for June.
As of now, Zelle has not reached out to a private attorney.
“The recommendation is that since the September change to the law, the public defender’s office has vastly more experience with these kinds of arrangements than the private attorneys do,” said Zelle.
Zelle is referencing the Cash Bail law that prevents defendants from being held in custody if they are unable to post bail.
Another protesters’ arraignment will be held on Wednesday, May 1st. Pro-Palestinian activists say they will protest in solidarity of George Vassilatos on the day of his arraignment.
He is faced with preliminary misdemeanor charges of mob action.
Protester reports suffering mild concussion after Friday’s demonstrations
One protester says she has symptoms of a mild concussion after police tried on Friday to dismantle an encampment for Palestine near the University of Illinois Alma Mater statue in Urbana.
A video taken by a fellow protester shows Faith Ryan being shoved forward as UIUC police break into the circle of protesters.
Ryan graduated from UIUC last year. She said she was disoriented after she fell down.
“I wasn’t sure what was happening. I couldn’t hear what they were saying to me. And then after a while they I heard them start to repeat, like we’re not arresting you, we’re trying to help you up. But my hands were behind my back, which was a little confusing to me, personally,” Ryan said.
Ryan said her symptoms include light sensitivity and memory problems. She said she recognizes the symptoms from previous concussions, which IPM saw documentation of.
UIPD spokesperson Patrick Wade said no one reported injuries to them, and that they had a medical van on site on Friday.
Protests and demonstrations are still ongoing
In a group telegram message of demonstration organizers called “UIUC Encampment ” organizers said they will not leave until UIUC divests from certain weapon manufacturers they say are Zionist.
There was a meeting scheduled Monday with pro-Palestinian organizers and university officials, but it was cancelled after they refused to meet the terms of an impromptu meeting offered by university officials the night before.
“Despite our willingness to discuss this important issue for us, the administration decided to unilaterally cancel today’s scheduled meeting,” said UIUC Encampment organizers in a Telegram message.
“Why? Because after we mobilized 400 people for 4 hrs last Wednesday to get this meeting,” the message continued “they were pressuring us to remove our tents in exchange for an uncommitted discussion to divest of companies like Caterpillar and Boeing that use our resources to invest in genocide.”
The impromptu meeting Sunday night was offered by Chancellor Jones and President Killeen was under the condition that the unauthorized tents in the Quad were removed. They refused.
“That was on the condition that demonstrators would be able to protest as long as there are no laws and university policies being violated,” said the Associate Chancellor, Robin Kaler, in a written email to IPM. “They refused to remove unauthorized tents that violated university policy, and that led to the decision to cancel the meeting.”
IPM Newsroom’s Emily Hays contributed reporting to this story.
