Letter Writer Urges DA Eads to Drop Charges Against CPH Students
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District Attorney Stacey Eads,
I urge you to refrain from prosecuting the Cal Poly Humboldt students who were arrested for protesting what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has determined to be a “plausible genocide” being carried-out by the state of Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, and for insisting that Cal Poly Humboldt divest from any involvement with the state of Israel.
I visited the campus during the sit-in of Siemens Hall, and found the protest to be peaceful and contained to the area immediately around Siemens Hall. The rest of the campus—99%—was undisturbed and had no student protest presence. I say this to show why I think President Jackson’s decision to not negotiate with the students and instead to call-in the Police and shut-down the campus was unnecessary and inflammatory. Further he showed that he lacks an understanding of the role of institutions of higher learning as historical venues for new paradigms to emerge—often with great controversy—when he weaponized a clearly First Amendment issue in a failed attempt to restrict and restrain the student’s pro-Palestine views.
It is bad enough that President Jackson besmirched the reputation and standing of Cal Poly Humboldt—to the point that teachers at CPH have publicly called for him to step down or be dismissed—by truncating the political discussion the students initiated re the need to end the “plausible genocide” as the ICJ mandated in its Provisional Measures accompanying its ruling in January, 2024 along with Israel’s need to provide “humanitarian aid,” neither of with which Provisions Israel has complied. But it will be even worse if you allow your office to become a tool for suppressing the First Amendment Rights of these students.
The mere likelihood that you and your office might be used to support one political position and suppress another has a chilling effect on the free flow of civic discourse in Humboldt County. The fact that you allow one of your staff to display an Israeli flag in a window visible from 4th Street—or that you allow a political display at all in your publicly funded offices—is room for suspicion that you have an existing bias in opposition to that of the students about whom you are charged with determining a course of legal action.
I urge you to discharge your official duties in this case in a non-partisan and rational manner, and not to let President Jackson’s imprudent, provocative and disruptive actions further weaponize Humboldt County’s legal system. I urge you to drop the charges.
Robin M. Donald
District Attorney Stacey Eads,
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Asked to disperse many times and refused has consequences.
Wait…is this a letter from Ronald McDonald…if so I’ll take a cheeseburger, large fries @ chocolate shake!
That will be $20 sir.
No kidding! $$
Isn’t it the coach for the Crabs?
Bust their asses and send them back.
The International Court of Justice is one of the biggest jokes on the planet. Even if the ICJ wasn”t a joke, breaking the law and refusing to disperse still should be prosecuted
I wasn’t aware the International Court of Justice was involved in this.
The letter writter was citing the ICJ opinion as one of the reasons for not prosecuting the protestors.
The vandalism that occurred needs to be addressed and those responsible held accountable.
The rest? Why waste the $?
How about violently resisting arrest and assaulting police?
And the continuous trespass caused a lot of otherwise needless expense and provided cover for the vandalism and theft.
Sorry no rewards for bad behavior I learned that when I was 6
No reward for bad behavior if you’re poor. The wealthy and connected are rewarded on a daily basis for very bad behavior.
True!! No argument there
6 Right around the time I learned to pull up my pants..
If this DA office history has any bearing on the future, they won’t be prosecuted at all. The do nothing DA office has likely already shredded the evidence as they did the case they promised to prosecute for me (also criminal vandalism). I have zero faith in anyone in Ead’s office. They want their pay, but don’t want to work for it. I wouldn’t worry too much about anything happening to any of them.
That being said, what should happen is not just vandalism charges, but a whole bunch of others including criminal threat.
Commit a crime means you must do the time. To hell with this slap on the wrist
( if even that) is ridiculous. Criminals, at all levels, and for any misguided ’cause’ have to be held accountable for the damages they do.
Like Marci Kitchen?
The biggest criminals sit in the senate and house of representatives and are exempt from prosecution because they write the laws and exempt themselves……and are bought and sold by the wealthy and influential…..they commit crimes on a global basis in your name.
Jackson, in forcibly removing students was a reaction to their “plausible” threats, which included personal threats, yet the letter writer thinks firing him from his employment is reasonable. It is plausible, considering the almost uniform response across universities across California, that the directing came from above him. That he was being held responsible for their irresponsibility.
If the students were bring honest, they would acknowledge they were engaging in a proxy re-do for our own colonial past, which is not, for all the propaganda words chanted, the same thing. If they really wanted to end an ugly war, they would be wanting to protect Israelis from genocidal Palestinians in the same way they claim to want to protect Palestinians from genocidal Israelis. They don’t. For people fully occupied in an academic world, their rhetoric shows a very poor grasp of the issues and a willingness to be lead around by their collective noses.
You keep pretending there is some sort of equivalency between one horrific day of terrorism and the genocidal destruction of Gaza. There isn’t.
No. But those who create their own destruction repeatedly over the last 75 years by terrorism are an problem that can’t be resolved by ordinary actions. And to disregard the fact that it wasn’t just “one horrific day of terrorism” but many over generations, not only in Israel but around the world is disingenuous.
If Palestinians were not so brutal with each other too there might be a point to your comment. But they have been. Every attack they make, which I admit is as much in their own attempt at control as is Israel’s is in theirs, fails and is followed by attacking each other with more deaths than any action by others. Always.
This was true before Israel declared itself a country and when 90% of Palistine was under Arab ownership. They neither quit, compromise, unite nor win. Which you apparently feel free to disregard. Somehow their choice always avoids coordinating and sacrifice for a goal. The only sacrifice honored is dying in an attack. This will always make them not viable as a country. If you want this unending war to stop, something needs to change with Arab Palestinians. Just blaming Israel won’t fix squat.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936%E2%80%931939_Arab_revolt_in_Palestine
The events in the Levant since October 7, 2023 are only a small piece of the history of violence, dating to the 19th Century. There’s plenty of blame to go around for both sides.
You don’t seem to understand what genocide means. The Hamas Charter calls for the destruction or expulsion of all Jews from what they claim as a State of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. That’s the definition of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Typical propaganda technique – accuse your opponent of what you are doing. Hamas have mastered social media propaganda. They accuse Israel of genocide while calling for it themselves.
It is the Israelis who were masters of social propaganda: they call it “hasbara.” I say were, because their lies, which you are repeating, are easily exposed. Here is what the Hamas Charter, updated in May 1987 says about Jews and Zionism:
16. Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.
17. Hamas rejects the persecution of any human being or the dermining of his or her rights on nationalist, religious or sectarian grounds. Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage. The Zionist movement, which was able with the help of Western powers to occupy Palestine, is the most dangerous form of settlement occupation which has already disappeared from much of the
world and must disappear from Palestine.
The conflict has be going on for a very very long time. I do not for one minute think these young people condone the atrocities that occurred on Oct.7 I believe they are speaking out against the mass slaughter of innocent women, children, men, doctors, aide workers, first responders, teachers, journalist and not to mention thousands of homes, hospitals, universities, and all the infrastructure to make life possible ( food, water supply, sewage, etc.) destroyed.
We are all terribly shocked at the report of a mass shooting whether it be at a church, synagog, concert or an event and our govenment condedems the perpretrator. Yet our government has been sending thousands of bombs, weapons and millions of tax payers dollars to aide Israel in their endever to punish all Palistinians for the perpretrators of Oct 7, ?? The Palistinian people as the American people have really little say in what our governments decide to do as these students have shown. Yet they have really made the real sacrifice…. to stand up for what they believe…. who is ready to listen?
Read above. Not 10/7 but generations.
How do you not notice that while there is a great shortage of food for the public, Palestinians still have bullets, are holding their hostages and fighting? They can get weapons but not food?
“No Palestinians are known to have offered to cooperate with the Israeli military, perhaps because Hamas has said they would be treated as collaborators, a veiled death threat.” And will do exactly that. Palestinians are caught between Hamas and Israel. Not cornered by Israel.
There is a great deal of delusion going on that the end of active war means that Arab Palestinians will choose peace. It never has. Any peace is simply a respite to regroup and attack again. Both sides want everything with no room left for the other side. So if you really want this war to end, there are only two ways. One eliminates the other or a way is found to change the mindset of both. Not just Israel.
And real sacrifice is not what any college student has done. They (and how many are really students) just don’t know that inconvenience is a pretty small thing for the amount of attention they demand.
Really all you have to do is look at a map and see how much land has been stolen from Palestine to see who is the one that is experiencing genocide do some research
Look at the historical maps since 1947 when the UN created the State of Israel out of the ashes of the British Mandate that had been in control of the Levant after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WW 1.
The Israelis had purchased most of the land granted by the original UN plan in 1947, and it also called for Jerusalem to become an international sanctuary city.
That two state solution immediately fell apart as soon as it was ratified and the wars began. Every time there’s a war Israel gains control of evermore territory.
The Olso Accords were supposed to produce a two state solution but neither side lived up to the agreement, especially the failure of the Palestinians to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
After October 7 Israel will be forced to return to full military control of Gaza. Once again, there will be no two state solution and it’s obvious why – neither side wants it.
Actions have consequences, even for the little darlings taking advantage of a state funded education. Make a mess, cost the state and county money they don’t have, then whine about having to face up to what they’ve done. Mommy and Daddy told them they are special, why doesn’t law enforcement recognize that.
These people are terrorists, and, their actions disrupted a public institution.
At UC Davis, a few students took over the Central Quad, and actually kept disabled persons from using the concrete path down the center…
A lawsuit has been filed, probably the first of many, for impinging on the rights of the public.
These persons, and I suspect that some of them are paid “activists”, are destroying a tradition of reason and light on our Universities.
Whatever you think of the fight between these two Countries, a battle between religions seems insane to many of us, and bringing the fight to California is pointless, irrational and obscene…
These demonstrations only serve to weaken the schools, and drive away the students who fear violence or further militaristic actions. The massacre in Israel lit the fuse of violence which exploded into full scale war…
We repudiate these actions and occupations and hope that we can get back to the job of our educational facilities, which is peaceful study and life as usual…
Demonstrators took over UCSF at Parnassus interfering with the medical institutions ability to do what they do. Interfering with a healing environment and families visiting their loved ones. They were removed by law enforcement.
Well written article. The protest was totally peaceful until Jackson called in the police and helicopter.
Jacksons violent reaction denyed the students their 1st amendment right to peacefully assemble. But racism against Palestinians is very acceptable in America. So him and the genocidal prosecutor will probably get away with their illegal behavior.
Your comments are delusional.
No one’s 1st Amendment rights were violated.
The protesters were not “peacefully assembled.”
A bunch of hooligans illegally occupied and ransacked the administration building, disrupted campus operations, violated the rights of the non protesting students, vandalized and stole public property and violently resisted and assaulted the police.
Get a grip!
PS: It was a letter to the editor, not an article!
YOU get a grip!
Were you inside Siemen’s Hall to see what the condition was after the protesters voluntarily vacated? No. I was! There was no “ransacking”! Just lots of graffiti.
Were you on site to gauge how peaceful it was? No. I was! And it was very peaceful! Who wasn’t peaceful? The cops!
You can use your first amendment rights to make uninformed comments, but it’s a waste.
“One picture is worth a thousand words.”
In this case there an abundance of photo and video evidence that prove you are lying.
Siemens Hall WAS ransacked with the protesters going through everything, including personal files, taking some things and leaving a mess.
The protestors were NOT peaceful as they violently resisted arrest and assaulted police.
Sure make the criminals the victims…
Correct. No one’s rights to free speech or protest were violated and the only ones arrested were those who insisted on being arrested.
The letter is a feeble attempt to rewrite what actually happened.
It was the moronic students who converted a protest into a destructive and violent building occupation, forcing the closure of the campus and interfering with the rights of the non protesting students.
Contrary to the author’s fictionalized account, the vandals occupied two buildings, tried to break into a dozen total, and engaged in extensive property damage, theft and ransacking of personal files.
The DA should absolutely take a politically neutral stance and the way to do that is to fairly and impartially prosecute anyone found responsible for criminal trespass, resisting arrest, vandalism, theft and assault.
Anything else violates the rule of law and gives a green light to criminal behavior masquerading as “peaceful protest”.
Hmmm…I posted this hours ago as a response to “Old School” (whose comment I agree with) but here it is down here, a bit out of context.
Try clicking the reply button
I did – there’s such a thing as glitches, as many before me have noted.
I’m confused. Civil disobedience is a real and valid way to protest when lawful expressions fail, but if one chooses to participate shouldn’t there be an expectation of arrest and charges? If you’re not happy with getting arrested, perhaps a lawful protest should be your choice of free speech expression.
Decide BEFORE you participate just how much you are willing to sacrifice and endure for your cause, then accept the consequences, and the responsibility of disrupting the lives of those around you and damaging property. If it’s worth it to you, go for it.
Whether or not I agree with the cause has absolutely no bearing on whether or not charges should be brought. They are not being charged because of their beliefs or convictions; the charges should be levied if their activity was unlawful.
You are exactly correct. 💯
I absolutely believe in ANYONE’S right to free speech, and would defend that right. BUT, when those folks who wish to exercise that free speech start destroying property, assault others, or decide they will block drivers on the Golden Gate bridge…I lose all understanding and sympathy for whatever a groups cause is.
And for those folks that would say to me “oh, that’s too bad you are being inconvenienced”, I say F… YOU!
I’m ok with dropping the charges as soon as they are expelled!
Just to clarify. Non partisan in your letter means agreeing with your point of view?
Actions have consequences.
I urge the county to hold the protesters accountable for their unlawful behavior.
I ask the DA to prosecute to the full extent of the law. There is no excuse for destroying public property and the dream of many other students. That was not a protest it was a large-scale criminal activity that had zero chance of affecting what was happening in Israel in any fashion. It was nothing more than an excuse to destroy and act out like a child, so they need to learn a lesson. Letting them off will not do them any favors they need to have consequences to their actions.
In fact, according to the Democrats this action is nothing less than an insurrection if you use the January 4th as case law, so they need to be put in federal prison and tried for treason. Remember the law needs to be enforced equally.
Robin’s had tee many martunies in just one sit in…. HIC!
I urge you to discharge your official duties in this case in a non-partisan and rational manner
Except in this case, because these are special people, ignore their violations of the law.
Maybe those guilty of vandalism and assault on law enforcement officers should emulate the Reverend Doctor King and write letters from the Eureka Jail.
The diff is that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. practiced TRUE non-violent Civil Disobedience.
He did not vandalize or destroy property or violently resist the police.
He was willing to be arrested, beaten, thrown in jail and prosecuted to bring attention to his cause, not to himself.
Rev King never wore a mask to hide his identity and he didn’t protest after dark.
He left that to the Klan.
That is true. MLK never wore a mask. He was also shot dead. Just saying.
Exactly. That’s why his Letter from the Birmingham Jail was such a powerful document
Vandalism, trespassing, interfering with commerce, and preventing public access are not First Amendment issues.
The ICJ? Lol who the fuck are they
It’s crazy to me that McDonald’s is so popular while Burger King has fallen on hard times.
McDonalder’s often wear Nike basketball shoes and synthetic sports jerseys instead of donning what Americans should be wearing: Burger King work boots.
I agree with every word in this considered and articulate letter.
Smart, compassionate robot!
“The fact that you allow one of your staff to display an Israeli flag in a window visible from 4th Street—or that you allow a political display at all in your publicly funded offices”
So this statement seems to say no flags other then national, state, city should be allowed on public property. Which is actually true.
I wonder if this person supports pride flags in classrooms. By their statement they should not.
Robin M. Donald
You have your opinion I have my own.
If someone breaks the law they should be prosecuted. (My opinion)
Thank you for your time.
I agree! Both Hamas and Israel should be held accountable for breaking the law!
Just because it’s a law doesn’t mean it’s fair or just
50 lashes with a wet noodle should be sufficient.
nobody wants to see your wet noodle.
Not my noodle.
The long slippery noodle of the law
Ok, Colonel Sanders. On second thought, hell no. They need to pay for damages and do prison time as INSURRECTIONISTS against civil society and the government. Justice works both ways Sanders. No exemptions for those who failed the Protesting 4 Dummies course, and were caught up in the greater paid for Antifa, color revolution, rent a mob. PS, your chicken is too greasy except for maybe a once in 20 year starvation run. and even then it is questionable at best. I suggest quitting and fronting for South of the border. Diablo Fire Sauce, Sanders.
Some believe we need to forgive their student loans too.
Also a great idea.
Sure- just print up more money and buy everything we want! It’s like magic!!
Tax the rich.
The rich are these students parents. Loan forgiveness is a tax on the mid -lower classes
The rich didn’t take out student loans, the middle-class did.
You can always personally voluntarily pay off student loans for folks.
I’m trying to care… I mean, I support the protesters mostly. But, part of civil disobedience is taking a little slap on the wrist. If it means so much to you, then take the whipping, and don’t complain.
Vandalism and theft of public property, violently resisting and assaulting the police is not civil disobedience.
I didn’t see any violence, except by the police. I think it was pretty tame overall. Surprised you are so easily offended.
Repeatedly bashing the police over the head with a rigid plastic 5 gallon water jug was violent and was clearly captured on video.
I’m offended that the morons allowed a protest to be hijacked into a building occupation and vandalism.
The empty water jug was tapping the officer on his securely-fastened helmet, not on his naked noggin.
Awww…this is soooo millennial. And why we make fun of you. I think they should let the flag guy prosecute them. That would be funny! Then they can really feel that Palestinian vibe…Honestly- you do the disruption you get caught and you get slapped. Don’t be pansies! Think of that criminal record as if it was one of your many insignificant tattoos- you’ll be that much cooler!! Ha ha. Actions have consequences so don’t wimp out now- or you might grow up to be a weakly semi-warrior-ish “progressive” like most of Arcata. Having a criminal record puts you a cut above. And if you’re lucky they’ll put you in state prison where you’ll meet very interesting characters and you can try converting them to your cause!! Take this righteous battle to the people- Do not fade gently into the night rave rave rave….
Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all of the destructive rioters that damaged Cal Poly property and refused lawful orders to vacate the premises.
Yes and prosecute all the January 6th rioters too, right?
Well TPTB have certainly tried.
Please don’t strawman the issue of the Cal Poly criminals.
If there was no vandalism I could see it, but there’s gotta bbe consequences for trashing the place.
How about no
The irony isn’t lost on me at the fact that some commenters are on one hand saying “F#ck the International Court of Justice” where the crime of all crimes. Genocide, is being investigated. And on the other hand, saying “Throw the book at these protestors” who maybe sprayed some graffiti. It’s laughable. And Robin brings up the most excellent point on the implication of bias and non-neutrality within our DAs office as their offices have been proudly demonstrating this bias since at least November. I’ll be paying close attention to how DA Eads handles these protest cases. Protesting genocide is probably the most honorable and American thing one can do, imo.
The problem, as many here have noted, is that vandalism, theft, destruction of public property, and assault on the police are not protest – they are criminal acts.
The result of the building occupation and criminal activity that followed is that almost no one remembers or is talking about the original point of the protest.
Not sure where you live but everyone is talking about Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. These students are making a difference and they got our pathetic reps in senate holding political witch hunt hearings to grill any college President who even tries to negotiate with the students. Our attachment to the genocidal state is coming to an end…and the violent response to student protests all over the world are just reactions to this fact.
Appropriate level solution: give them a plea deal for a couple hundred hours of community service each cleaning up vandalism throughout the county and expunge their record after a year once they’ve completed it.
Yup. Seems appropriate. But the UC system needs to accept that too.
Thank you Robin for your though provoking letter. As you mentioned the International Court of Justice has determined that Israel has gone too far. The International Criminal Court has also determined Israel’s Prime Minister is committing criminal offenses.
Enough is enough and I personally am proud of these young adults to stand up and speak out! They are the ones we should be listening to and counting on to make this world a better place to live in for generations to come.
This was not peaceful what so ever. I visited the campus as an alumni during this event & was met with confrontational individuals. I asked for information and view points & received nothing but aggression.
Not a peaceful protest.
Was the aggression physical or verbal?
Shoot I was hoping for a long prison stint or possible death penalty.