Quick summary:
• Four students at UIUC face felony “mob action” charges for a peaceful protest against Gaza genocide.
• The protest, called the Popular University for Gaza, called for divestment and acknowledgment of Israeli actions.
• UIUC spent $137,000 on police enforcement, using surveillance to identify participants post-protest.
• Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz pursued felony charges at the university’s request.
• Faculty and the ACLU criticized the charges as attacks on free speech and peaceful activism.
• UIUC has a history of suppressing pro-Palestinian activism, including rescinding a job offer to a professor critical of Israel.
• The university’s $27 million pro-apartheid investments raise questions about financial motives.
• Students face academic discipline, expulsion, and a chilling effect on campus activism.
• Similar crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests have occurred at universities across the U.S.
• Faculty and advocates urge charges to be dropped, citing constitutional violations and the students’ peaceful intent.
Four students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are facing felony “mob action” charges after peacefully protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza. The charges stem from their participation in a solidarity encampment earlier this year, highlighting what they called genocide funded heavily by the United States. With pre-trial hearings scheduled, these students now face up to three years in prison for exercising their First Amendment rights on campus.
The encampment, named the Popular University for Gaza, was established in April 2024 in response to months of intensified violence against Palestinians. The students called for the university to acknowledge Israel’s genocide, commit to addressing Palestinian and Muslim issues on campus, and divest from corporations tied to the Israeli occupation. Their actions mirrored similar protests across the United States as part of a growing student-led movement to address U.S.-supported injustices in Gaza.
Despite repeated efforts to engage with UIUC administrators, including Chancellor Robert Jones, meaningful negotiations never materialized. Demonstrations culminated in the establishment of the encampment, which UIUC declared a violation of campus policies related to tents and signage.
The university responded by deploying law enforcement from five counties, spending over $137,000 in overtime for police. Faculty eyewitnesses reported that students were surrounded and threatened with arrest if they did not disband. The students eventually disassembled the encampment voluntarily, and while two individuals were arrested at the time, neither were students.
The matter appeared resolved, but over the summer, the situation escalated. Starting in July 2024, UIUC police, in collaboration with Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, issued felony “mob action” charges against several students. Surveillance tools, including license plate readers, social media posts, and body camera footage, were used to identify participants. Among those charged was a Palestinian student.
Rietz publicly stated that the university requested the charges but defended her decision as an independent prosecutorial action. She insisted that “free speech is absolutely a protected right,” yet pursued felony charges under the Illinois mob action statute. Critics, including faculty and civil rights organizations, argue this approach criminalizes peaceful protest and sets a dangerous precedent.
The ACLU of Illinois voiced opposition to the charges, noting their longstanding concern that the mob action statute would be used to target protesters. The organization stated, “Lawmakers explicitly assured that this law would not be weaponized against constitutionally protected activities. This prosecution flies in the face of those assurances.”
Faculty at UIUC have also rallied in support of the students. In July 2024, 37 faculty members sent an open letter to Rietz, urging her to drop the charges. The letter described the students’ actions as peaceful and motivated by personal loss and moral conviction, noting that many participants had lost family members in Gaza. The faculty criticized the university for failing to uphold its mission of fostering global citizenship and justice.
This incident is the latest in a series of actions by UIUC that appear to suppress dissent against pro-apartheid policies. The university has a history of opposing student activism, from anti-apartheid protests in the 1980s to the controversial 2013 rescission of employment for Professor Steven Salaita, who criticized Israeli military actions on social media. Salaita’s case ended with an $800,000 settlement and a formal censure of UIUC by the American Association of University Professors for violating academic freedom.
UIUC also continues to maintain significant financial ties to companies linked to the Israeli occupation, with estimates of pro-apartheid investments exceeding $27 million in 2023 alone. Critics argue that these financial interests are a driving force behind the university’s efforts to silence pro-Palestinian advocacy on campus.
Further escalating the situation, UIUC recently revoked the official status of Students for Justice in Palestine, the group that helped organize the encampment. Additionally, several charged students now face academic disciplinary proceedings, which could lead to expulsion. Faculty monitoring the situation have reported that these measures severely limit students’ ability to defend themselves, further stifling their voices.
The charges against the UIUC students reflect a growing trend of repression against pro-Palestinian activism across U.S. campuses. Universities such as Brown, Columbia, and George Washington have faced similar accusations of silencing student protests. The crackdown comes amid heightened tensions, with former President Donald Trump even pledging to deport students who protest against Israel.
As the trials move forward, the stakes are high—not just for the students but for free speech on college campuses nationwide. Critics warn that prosecuting peaceful protesters under felony statutes creates a chilling effect, deterring students from engaging in activism on critical issues.
Despite public outcry, neither UIUC nor Rietz’s office has indicated whether they plan to drop the charges. The university’s actions send a clear message: pro-Palestinian activism will be met with severe consequences. Meanwhile, students who participated in the encampment face another school year under the looming threat of further charges, given the three-year statute of limitations for mob action claims.
“This much is clear: the university is trying to protect its investments and reputation at the expense of its students’ constitutional rights,” said one faculty member who signed the open letter.
As advocates continue to demand justice, the outcome of these trials will have far-reaching implications for the future of campus activism. Reflecting on her experience, one student said, “We just wanted to stand up for what’s right. Now, we’re fighting for our futures.”
As UIUC faculty reminded administrators in their letter, “These students exemplified the values of global citizenship and justice that this university claims to support. It’s time for the university to live up to its ideals.”
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