Gaza agitators who occupied Columbia campus building get sweetheart deal from NYC DA Alvin Bragg—6 months probation, 'legal protest' class

On Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office issued a sweetheart deal to 13 Columbia University Gaza camp defendants and offered them adjournment in contemplation of dismissal for their criminal trespassing charges, as reported by the Columbia Spectator.

The 13 defendants, none of whom were enrolled at Columbia University during the Gaza camp occupation, will have their charges dismissed following 6 months of probation and the completion of a class that educates about "peaceful and legal protesting." Each of them was charged with criminal trespass for their alleged participation in the occupation of Hamilton Hall on the private Ivy League university campus in April.

Prosecutors offered the adjournment in contemplation of dismissal over lack of evidence, age, and prior criminal history. Protesters covered campus security cameras during the occupation of Hamilton Hall and covered their faces, which resulted in prosecutors being unable to determine what happened inside the building, according to the Columbia Spectator.

All 13 defendants accepted Bragg's offer Thursday after initially declining it on June 20. This comes after DA Bragg dismissed 31 of 46 criminal cases against Gaza camp agitators in June. 

Hamilton Hall was occupied by dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters on April 30 as part of Columbia's massive pro-Gaza occupation, which was swept by the New York Police Department in a major operation at the direction of University President Minouche Shafik following worldwide criticism for allowing the occupation to take over the campus. NYPD arrested more than 100 individuals on and around campus that night.