Two more pro-Palestine activists charged with Mob Action from U of I protest

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Two more people were recently charged for incidents that took place at April’s pro-Palestine protests on the University of Illinois campus.

35-year-old Elizabeth Sotiropoulos of Champaign and 25-year-old Joseph Kleckner of Savanna were each charged with mob action and obstructing a peace officer, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz confirmed. They were arraigned on Tuesday last week.

Rietz said that mob action is a Class 4 felony that carries a possibility of one to three years in prison. For the misdemeanor of obstructing a peace officer, one year in prison can be served. Both charges are also punishable by probation, she said.

Sotiropoulos is a former Champaign Unit 4 school board member and was identified after authorities compared footage of her speaking at an Urbana City Council meeting. Kleckner is said to have been found after a license plate reader caught his vehicle dropping off supplies for the protestors.

WCIA has reached out to the U of I to confirm whether Kleckner or Sotiropoulos have any direct involvement with the university. They have not yet responded at the time of this article.

Kleckner and Sotiropoulos are the newest in a growing list of demonstrators who are facing charges. On the first day of the protest , George Vassilatos, 25, and Christopher Zelle, 37, were also arrested for mob action. Zelle received an additional charge of aggravated battery to a peace officer. Neither man was affiliated with the U of I.

Earlier this month , 18-year-old Yafa Issa of Savoy was also charged with mob action. She was later identified as a U of I student.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois issued a statement on Monday in response to all the charges being brought forth, particularly the felony of mob action.

“We are aware of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign along with community members being charged in state court with felonies related to their actions around encampments at the U of I campus at the end of the last school year. The charges are brought under a ‘mob action’ law that the ACLU of Illinois opposed when it was first considered in the Illinois General Assembly,” they said. “We expressed concern at the time that the felony penalties available to prosecutors under this statute would be used against those engaged in protest. Despite repeated declarations by lawmakers that this was not the purpose, we see this charge now being used in this way. A felony conviction carries serious, lifelong consequences and prosecutors should pursue felony charges only where necessary.”

The ACLU of Illinois then called for officials to make fair judgements on the actions of demonstrators.

“In response to the student encampments on campuses across Illinois, the ACLU of Illinois has consistently urged restraint from students and administrators. We urge prosecutors to exercise that same restraint in charging any violations emanating from the protests.”

An additional two people — who are not yet identified — have also been served notices to appear in court in early August. However, Rietz said these cases have not yet been reviewed or charged.

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