Young Democratic Socialists member arrested at pro-Palestine rally, charged with battery of an officer
A Florida International University student was arrested at a pro-Palestine rally on Feb. 8, with police alleging he battered an officer.
A student at Florida International University was arrested at a pro-Palestine rally on Feb. 8, with police alleging he battered an officer.
The student, a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter at FIU, was arrested during a pro-Palestine rally with Students for Justice in Palestine, Muslim Students Association, and the Pakistani Students Association, according to Panther Now.
According to the report, the students were demanding that FIU divest from weapons manufacturers who are profiting from Israel’s war against Hamas.
FIU Police Chief Alexander Casas told the outlet that Joncarlo Ospina was arrested for alleged battery against an officer.
Police wrote in an arrest affidavit that Ospina “in an aggressive and defiant manner, grabbed the victim [Officer Arce] and attempted to pull him into the crowd that was protesting. The defendant [Ospina] pulled the victim with such force that the defendant almost pulled the victim’s watch off his wrist.”
FIU’s SJP chapter shared a video on Instagram where an officer was heard shouting at a student, saying “Don’t f--king grab me!”
Casas said the video captured what the officer said after the incident.
“That video doesn’t depict the entirety of the incident,” said Casas. “Only what happened after.”
The Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter at the Miami, Florida, university wrote on Instagram that the police’s accusation is “erroneous.”
”Participants of the demonstration chanted and marched peacefully from the gc lawns to primera casa. Rather than regulate the crowd professionally, FIU PD chose an aggressive response, shoving and yelling at protesters as they pleased,” the group wrote. “The student in question was singled out for harassment by FIU police officers prior to the unjust arrest.”
”An officer chose to engage in a verbal altercation with the student in an increasingly hostile manner. After the dispute was seemingly over and the protest had concluded, the officers returned soon after to place the student in police custody,” the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter wrote. “We at sjp condemn the unnecessary use of force and unlawful behavior exhibited by the FIU police department. We recognize the similarities between the iof detaining palestinians with no charge and police doing the same here. Students should be able to express their right to free speech and protest on campus. FIU PD must not be permitted to abuse its authority against students as it pleases.”
