Plea Deals Offered Following Arrests at UMass Pro-Palestinian Rally

BELCHERTOWN, MA (WGGB/WSHM) — Deals are being reached in some of the cases related to pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at an encampment at UMass Amherst. Four people who appeared in court Monday could have their charges dropped later this year if they continue to obey the law. It’s all part of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office’s new deal for some of the more than 100 people arrested after police and protesters clashed on a Tuesday in May.

“We are witnessing a trial against democracy. We are witnessing an attack on the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest on campus,” said one protester.

“This is unfortunately the consequence for many people of conscience who are speaking out against a genocide in which we are participating,” said lawyer Rachel Weber.

Two months after more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the lawn of the UMass Amherst student union to push the university to divest and disclose any ties to companies profiting from the conflict abroad, the attorney’s office originally tasked with prosecuting them is now handing out contracts. Weber, one of the lawyers representing the protesters, explains what that means.

“For some of these cases, the DA’s office is proposing pre-arraignment diversion. That means the indictment will be expunged from the record, the case will be continued for a period of time, and if all goes well, the case will be dismissed and the person will not even have been indicted,” Weber said. “That process moved forward for four people today. The other people have elected to come back for a later arraignment date on September 16.”

The move Monday morning by the prosecutor’s office will have a domino effect. Several days of these pretrial conferences are still to come, with an unspecified number of people on the list for a chance to participate in the program, but just because the deal is on the table doesn’t mean everyone is ready to accept it.

“People might say, ‘I understand the offer that’s on the table now. I’m curious to see how that’s going to change over time, given the large number of people who are being arrested.’ Some might say, ‘I just want to make sure that everybody gets the same offer,’” Weber noted.

If any of these cases move forward, Weber told Western Mass News they will not back down.

“If any of them end up being tried, we will be prepared to do so,” Weber added.

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said in a statement: