ST. LOUIS – Prosecutors formally charged two people, including former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, in connection with an April 2024 protest at Washington University that ended with 100 arrests.

On Wednesday, nearly one year later, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed misdemeanor charges against Stein, 74, and Jeron Hicks, 24, on Wednesday. Both face first-degree trespass and fourth-degree assault charges, while Hicks was also charged with resisiting/interfering with arrest.

The protest took place on April 27, 2024, when a group of students and community members organized a march and encampment at the university in solidarity with similar demonstrations nationwide. The protests were spurred by the ongoing war in Gaza.

According to the Associated Press, more than 46,000 people have died since Hamas, a militant group that controls Gaza, launched attacks against Israel in October 2023, leading to a retaliatory response by Israeli forces.

During the WashU demonstration, protestors called for the university to cut ties with Boeing and Israeli educational institutions, while releasing a statement condemning the war in Palestine.

University officials say three police officers sustained various injuries while responding to the protest. Protesters were reportedly to leave when they began to set up an encampment, and officials asserted that the group violated policies and did not listen to police instructions to leave.

Washington University Chancellor described it as “a dark, sad day for WashU” and claimed that Saturday’s protest was a disruption that violated university policies.

Following the protest, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says there were 19 applications submitted for charges in relation to arrests made at the protest. Prosecutors have referred university police to municipal court if they wish to pursue charges in the other 17 cases.

Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith also shared the following statement:

“I want to make it clear that these misdemeanor criminal charges are not a statement about the freedoms of speech or assembly, which we honor and uphold as part of our Constitution. They are not a statement about the subject of the protest, which was the situation in Gaza. These charges merely reflect our professional judgment that we have the evidence to prove these particular criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Since Stein’s and Hicks’ cases only concern misdemeanor charges that were issued by a criminal summons, prosecutors did not ask the courts to issue an arrest warrant.