New Orleans, LA – On Friday, September 20, Tulane University encampment arrestees held a rally at 8 a.m., outside of the Orleans Criminal District Court, just before a monumental win for the city’s movement. There were over 40 people in attendance for both the rally and their full-day trial. They packed the courts in support of the arrestees for the Popular University for Gaza encampment that took place on Tulane’s front lawn from April 29 to May 1.

The crowd chanted, “Not guilty, not sorry!” and “When student rights are under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” A Loyola faculty member, Pablo Zavala, shared his thoughts on the students’ bravery stating, “SDS members, the young people, and community members have shown me and have shown us what it means to be courageous. When the system was against them and the powers that be weaponized the rules and criminalized free speech, they kept going.”

Loyola and Tulane administrations have been attacking the student movement, making new policies for code of conduct and change how the appeal process works.

“Every time they create a new policy to undermine and deter the movement, we just become more creative and more organized,” stated Juleea Berthelot, SDS member and encampment arrestee.

“We have ripped off the masks of the ‘progressive’ ghouls who are truly nothing but imperialist. Who are truly nothing but people who want to genocide anybody who stands up for liberation,” said NOSHIP member and encampment arrestee Sheryas Vasudevan. He accused District Attorney Jason Williams, who accepted the charges as Tulane pressured him to do so, of being of those “progressive ghouls.” Williams is a Tulane alumnus.

The court tried to diminish the attendance of supporters by pushing back the trial to 11 a.m. Nevertheless, protesters were in the keffiyeh-packed courtroom, ready to support the brave arrestees during the trial.

Prosecutors had 14 police witnesses trying to identify those who have been arrested and testify that the arrestees were trespassing. Ultimately, the prosecutors and their witnesses showed the judge how weak their case was. From submitting discovery material late after having an extension to 5 p.m. the previous Friday, to the officers telling on themselves as they were answering questions from the defendants’ defense attorneys, the prosecutor brought a weak case.

“It’s disappointing that the district attorney would take a case to trial when he and his office knew the evidence in the case exonerated the accused. But fortunately, the court quickly recognized that the prosecution had no case,” said defense attorney Graham Bosworth.

The mainly pro bono defense attorneys played offense. They exposed the contradictions between police witnesses and blatant conflicts of interest. They also caught Tulane destroying evidence. The university had allowed self-incriminating security camera footage to delete, despite having a requirement to turn it in. Defense lawyers additionally objected to the DA submitting evidence that they failed to hand over during pre-trial discovery. In other words, the DA had withheld evidence. Judge Benedict Willard acquitted the arrestees.

After leaving the courthouse, cheers and chants of “When we fight, we win!” and “Dare to struggle, dare to win!” started to celebrate the victory that was won through the power of the people.

Rory Macdonald, a member of Tulane SDS and encampment arrestee, made a speech as a call-and-response, “My name is Rory Macdonald and I am proud to have stood trial as a defender of the Tulane and Loyola Popular University for Palestine. Because today we showed Tulane and their dog, Jason Williams, that if you want to put the people on trial, the people are gonna put you on trial.”

This was the first trial nationally for Popular University for Gaza arrestees. It will inspire people to keep fighting as we still have more political attacks to win.

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