Jill Stein, a left-wing US Presidential candidate for the Green Party, was arrested yesterday (Saturday) during an anti-Israel demonstration at Washington University in St. Louis. Stein's Campaign Manager Jason Call and Deputy Campaign Manager Kelly Merrill-Caye were also arrested.
Stein published footage from the incident on X, writing, "Jill Stein and her Campaign Manager and Deputy Campaign Manager, Jason Call and Kelly Merrill-Cayer, have been arrested at Washington University in St. Louis while supporting a protest against WashU’s ties to the war on Gaza."
“Jill and others were attempting to de-escalate with police before they began arresting people," she claimed. "It’s shameful that university administrations are condoning the use of force against their own students who are simply calling for peace, human rights, and an end to a genocide that the American people abhor.”
During the protest, Stein stated, “We’re standing here with the students at WashU, standing up for our Constitutional rights, standing up for the American people who want to end this genocide now."
Washington University said in a statement following yesterday's protest, "Today a large group of individuals entered the Washington University campus with the intention of causing a significant disruption to the university. The group, which included WashU students and employees as well as many individuals not affiliated with the university, marched to multiple campus locations, pitched tents, and indicated that they did not intend to leave. They also put out a call for more people to come to campus to join their demonstration."
"It quickly became clear through the words and actions of this group that they did not have good intentions on our campus and that this demonstration had the potential to get out of control and become dangerous. When the group began to set up a camp in violation of university policy, we made the decision to tell everyone present that they needed to leave. We arrested more than 80 individuals who refused to leave after being asked multiple times. All will face charges of trespassing and some may also be charged with resisting arrest and assault, including for injuries to police officers.
"We are firmly committed to free expression and allow ample opportunity for voices to be heard on our campus. However, we expect everyone to respect our policies and we will take swift action to enforce them to their fullest extent," the university stated.
On Friday, Stein joined anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University, where the current wave of anti-Israel protests began. She was confronted by Jewish counter-protesters who accused her of representing the "one percent" of Jews who have joined forces with antisemites to support the Hamas terrorist organization against Israel.
Stein previously ran for president in 2012 and 2016. In 2012, she claimed that candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were essentially the same, calling Obama a "wolf in sheep's clothing." She received just 0.36% of the vote in 2012, and 1% of the vote in 2016.
She launched her current campaign in November 2023, a month after the Hamas massacre of October 7. She declared that ending what she called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza was one of her top priorities.