RICHMOND, Va. — All charges were dismissed against all defendants after 13 protesters were arrested last year in connection with demonstrations at Virginia Commonwealth University which police deemed unlawful.
In April 2024, students and some members of the public established what they called a "Liberated Zone for Gaza" on VCU's campus.
They were calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, protesting the killing of people in Palestine, and demanding that VCU disclose any possible financial ties to Israel.
“We were there on April 29, 2024, to stand up for justice and to stand up for all the Palestinians who have been facing injustice," said Sereen Haddad, a VCU student and activist who was in attendance that day. “It was beautiful. There was art. There was zero violence whatsoever. We were dancing, singing, chanting.”
But when demonstrators set up encampments that included tents and wooden structures, VCU said that violated university policy. The university said it repeatedly requested that the encampment be dismantled, to no avail.
Later that evening, Virginia State Police, Richmond Police, and VCU Police showed up in riot gear to disperse the crowd, using pepper spray in an attempt to do so. Police had declared the gathering unlawful.
Tense clashes broke out, with police accusing protesters of throwing objects at them and protesters accusing police of using force against them. Haddad said she was injured after being thrown to the ground by an officer.
“I had a black eye. I had cuts all across my chin and my neck, head trauma, and my shoulder had to be in a sling for the next couple of weeks," Haddad recalled.
Police arrested 13 people, six of whom were VCU students, for unlawful assembly and trespassing. Haddad was not one of them.
The charges sparked protests outside the Richmond courthouse, with dozens of people demanding that prosecutors drop the charges.
After the last defendant's case was adjudicated in February 2025, all 26 charges were dismissed, but Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said that decision was not influenced by pushback from any community members.
“The dismissal of the charges is definitely the right outcome, but I think there's one thing that should be completely clear: these charges never should have happened in the first place. Universities are choosing, the country is choosing to criminalize protesting," Haddad said.
McEachin said the move wasn't due to a lack of evidence.
She said all defendants were required to complete 40 hours of community service and write a "brief memo" about the rights and responsibilities that are covered under the First Amendment.
In general, McEachin said she looks to avoid incarceration and convictions on people's records when the charges are misdemeanors, don't involve property damage or violence against another person, and the defendant has no criminal history. That was the case here, and McEachin said all defendants can have their records expunged.
However, Haddad felt the criminal justice system was unfairly used in this case and wouldn't deter her from continuing to speak out and protest.
“I don't regret being there at all. I stand strong in why I was there, and I will continue to," Haddad said.
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