Demonstrators rally outside courthouse to call for dropped charges for pro-Palestine USF protestors

Share
Tampa Allaince Against Racist and Political Repression organizer Joseph Nohava speaks in Downtown Tampa // Chris Young, 5/21/24

Listen:

A Pro-Palestine demonstration at the University of South Florida resulted in 13 arrests last month. Activists rallied outside of a Tampa courthouse Tuesday to demand charges be dropped.

“Hey hey, ho ho, these charges have got to go! Hey hey, ho ho, these charges have got to go!”

Dozens of protestors waved signs and rallied outside of the Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa. They’re advocating for the courts  to drop charges for those arrested during the protests at the USF Tampa campus.

The Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression put the event together. Joseph Nohava is one of the organizers.

“Ron DeSantis doesn’t like what they have to say about what’s going on in Palestine, and so he’s acting through his puppet, Suzy Lopez, to charge innocent people for speaking out – using their first amendment rights.”

Simon Rowe spoke at the rally. Rowe is one of the 13 arrested and faces a charge of trespassing.

“Legally I have pled not guilty, the state offered me a misdemeanor intervention program, and they are still offering it until June 26th.”

Rowe says it’s been a stressful and nervous time.

USF president Rhea Law issued a statement last month saying the protest was unlawful and not peaceful, adding protestors were given several warnings before being arrested.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

You may also like

student meal
Next school year Hillsborough public schools are offering free meals

Hillsborough Public Schools are offering students free meals for the...

Correspondence Through Poetry. A Mind-Numbing Week.

Father Verses Sons: A Correspondence in Poems by Herbert Gold...

The sound of change: Music’s influence on anti-war and human rights movements

Throughout history, music has served as a powerful catalyst for...

a man in a tye dye shirt talking on a radio microphone
Recreational pot for Florida is on the ballot this fall—let’s talk about it

In four months, Florida voters have the opportunity to vote...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram

Thee Righteous Temple of Hip Hop
Player position: