CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, IL (Chambana Today) – The first trial connected to pro-Palestine protests at the University of Illinois ended Thursday with a partial acquittal.
Yafa Issa, 18, faced two charges stemming from the April 26 protest: felony mob action and a misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing a police officer. The court found Issa not guilty of the felony charge — the most serious she faced — but convicted her on the misdemeanor.
The bench trial concluded around 4:15 p.m. with post-trial motions and sentencing set for July 3.
The April 26 demonstrations at the Urbana campus were part of a national wave of student-led protests in solidarity with Palestine, several of which led to arrests. Issa’s case is the first of multiple stemming from the university protest to reach trial.