Charges dropped against 4 Northwestern University employees arrested after pro-Palestinian protests

Four Northwestern employees who were cited with misdemeanors after the pro-Palestinian protests on the university's campus earlier this year had their charged dropped Friday.

The demonstrations happened on the Evanston campus earlier this year. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office cited their policy of not charging peaceful protesters.

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ABC7 spoke Thursday with Northwestern Assistant Professor Alithia Zamantakis, who is one of the four university employees who was previously charged criminally for allegedly obstructing police after participating in the protests.

"When I refused to come in, they came to my office, and that's where I was effectively arrested and charged," Zamantakis said.

A genocide is happening and I was acting in accordance... they were attempting to silence us...

The assistant professor said Northwestern University police read her Miranda rights in her on-campus office. Zamantakis believes the charges were a violation of the academic freedom educators and students are supposed to have at the school.

"A genocide is happening and I was acting in accordance... they were attempting to silence us," Zamantakis said.

Northwestern acknowledged the charges earlier this week in a written statement, which also read, "While the University permits peaceful demonstrations, it does not permit activity that disrupts University operations, violates the law, or includes the intimidation or harassment of members of the community."

Zamantakis disagreed.

"They are, in our and our lawyer's opinion, bogus charges," Zamantakis said.

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