Green Party candidate Jill Stein was arrested during an anti-Israel protest at Washington University in St. Louis after a confrontation at Columbia University the previous day.
Stein, a physician-turned-activist and politician, was among over 80 individuals arrested after the group refused to vacate the private university’s campus, according to reports from the St. Louis Dispatch. Footage shared on Stein’s social media account showed her being detained and escorted away by police during the protest.
BREAKING: Jill Stein and her Campaign Manager and Deputy Campaign Manager, Jason Call and Kelly Merrill-Cayer, have been arrested at Washington University in St. Louis while supporting a protest against WashU’s ties to the war on Gaza.
— Dr. Jill Stein🌻 (@DrJillStein) April 28, 2024
Video from @KallieECox pic.twitter.com/rkUYC9b5Qx
During the demonstration, her campaign manager, Jason Call, and deputy campaign manager, Kelly Merrill-Caye, were also taken into custody. Stein voiced solidarity with the students at WashU, emphasizing their constitutional rights and advocating for an end to what she termed genocide.
Reports indicated that the protests aimed to halt the war in Gaza and urged the university to sever all ties with Boeing Co. Stein’s account claimed that she and others attempted to de-escalate the situation with police before arrests began.
In response, the university stated that the protests had the potential to escalate and become dangerous, leading to charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, and assault against the demonstrators. While affirming their commitment to free expression, the university emphasized the importance of respecting campus policies.
Stein’s arrest occurred after she faced criticism from Jewish protesters outside Columbia University, who accused her of representing a minority viewpoint within the Jewish community regarding Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
A physician and Harvard graduate, Stein previously sought the Green Party presidential nomination in 2012 and 2016. She announced her 2024 presidential bid last November, citing ending the “genocide in Gaza” as a critical focus of her campaign.
