An encounter on University of Cincinnati's campus between a student group and demonstrators unaffiliated with the university Tuesday ended in the arrest of a student.
UC issued a statement saying the student got into an "altercation" with a small group of preachers and ignored commands from UCPD. But members of a UC student group dispute this. They say the student's arrest was uncalled for and that the preachers carried offensive signs and were berating students.
Videos show University of Cincinnati police arresting a member of Students for Justice in Palestine. The arrest sparked an hour-long protest outside the Hamilton County Justice Center that drew more than 100 people.
Ameer Alkayali is vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine. He says his group had set up tables for a fundraiser benefiting children in Palestine when the incident took place at about 3 p.m. Tuesday. The situation started with interaction between his group and a small group of preachers unaffiliated with the university who had been on campus since earlier in the day. They carried signs bearing what Alkayali says were offensive messages about Muslims, Jewish people, and women.
"They were standing on the top of the stairwells outside of the Tangeman University Center," he said. "They were protected by the police and given gates. Students were sitting in front of the gates counter-protesting, holding up signs with positive messaging."
One counter-protester, a 21-year-old student, approached the gates waving a Palestinian flag. UC says he repeatedly bumped into the preachers and did not move away when police instructed him to. The university also says he resisted arrest and kicked at officers.
But Alkayali and other students present say the arrested student didn't do anything improper.
Laila Shaikh is founder of UC Students for Justice in Palestine. She says she's seen the preachers on UC's campus before and that their presence and statements make Muslim and other students uncomfortable.
"At least a few times a week there are a few people who just stand there with these very discriminatory, racist, stereotypical signs," she said.
Shaikh says they were more confrontational than usual Tuesday, "berating students that walked by."
UC says it abides by First Amendment requirements. The university does not require permits for demonstrations and provides barricades for protesters when asked to do so. UC says it does not make an attempt to identify individuals demonstrating on campus unless there is a legal reason to do so.
The preachers left about 4 p.m. The arrested student was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was released on $1,500 bond that night and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him Wednesday.
Ohio's chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Wednesday issued a statement criticizing the arrest.
“We unequivocally condemn the arrest of student activists and the alleged attack on free speech and academic freedom," CAIR Ohio Executive Director Khalid Turaani wrote in the statement. "We are appalled by these reported acts of aggression targeting those opposed to the genocide in Gaza and call on all Americans to defend the right to free speech."