Authorities have accused a Florida man of shoving and slapping a Chicago police officer throughout a contentious pro-Palestine rally on the College of Chicago Friday.
A Chicago police officer making an attempt to disperse a gaggle of protestors who surrounded a U. of C. police squad automobile mentioned he felt somebody — who was later recognized as Manuel Rivera — shove him, kick him within the legs and strike him with an open hand on the left facet of his face, in line with an arrest report.
Rivera, of Venice, Florida, was charged with Class 2 aggravated battery to a police officer. He was granted pretrial launch throughout a Saturday detention listening to on the Leighton Felony Court docket Constructing however should report back to grownup probation.
Authorities mentioned that whereas the police officer detained Rivera, an unknown lady hit him in an try and free Rivera. The report acknowledged the girl additionally hit one other officer who tried to tug her away, hanging her on the suitable facet of the face, inflicting her glasses to fall off, and giving her bruises on each arms.
Rivera was then in a position to escape and flee southbound, and cops ran after him on foot, in line with the report. The officer Rivera is accused of assaulting struck him twice on the leg with a baton, however Rivera continued to flee, the report acknowledged.
A bystander tripped Rivera by placing their leg out, inflicting him to fall to the bottom, authorities mentioned. Rivera was then arrested at 3:40 p.m.
College officers didn’t instantly reply to an e-mail looking for remark. Court docket paperwork famous that Rivera had no prior misdemeanor or felony convictions.
The case was transferred to Department 38 felony courtroom on the Far South Facet. Rivera returns to courtroom on Thursday.
Two different protesters had been additionally arrested in the course of the Hyde Park rally, which got here simply days after the anniversary of the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict. College officers mentioned protestors used locks to dam entry to campus by way of a gate on East 57th Road, spray-painted buildings and public artwork close to the intersection of South Ellis Avenue and 57th Road, blocked public roads, bodily surrounded a police automobile and struck officers who responded.
UChicago United for Palestine, a gaggle dedicated to Palestinian liberation, hosted the rally, in line with the college’s scholar newspaper, though it’s unclear whether or not these arrested had been with the group. They couldn’t instantly be reached for remark Saturday afternoon. The paper mentioned some 200 protestors had been on the rally, and round 50 officers, some who used pepper spray and batons.
Together with different Chicago-area universities, U. of C. revised its protest tips this 12 months, barring in a single day encampments however permitting for spontaneous and unregistered demonstrations with out new time or place restrictions. Two days after asserting this coverage, the college acquired a $100 million donation to assist free expression.
rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
