DA Declines to Prosecute 27 Arrested in Cal Poly Humboldt Protests

The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to criminally charge 27 of the 39 people arrested during the Pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus in late April, during which protesters occupied Siemens Hall for a week.

Responding to a Journal inquiry, District Attorney Stacey Eads wrote in an email that she rejected the 27 case referrals “based on insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and/or interest of justice grounds.”

“Those cases which were not rejected are pending, as they are being referred to the lead investigating agency, Cal Poly Humboldt Police Department, for further investigation, information and/or documentation,” Eads wrote.

Eads declined to identify the 27 arrestees whom her office has chosen not to prosecute, but said anyone arrested in association with the April protests can call her office at (707) 445-7411 to “inquire about the status of their referral.”


A group of activist entered Siemens Hall the afternoon of April 22 with plans to occupy the building in an effort to bring awareness to the Israel-Hamas war and its brutal impact on civilians in Gaza. Those interviewed by the Journal said the plan was for a “soft occupation,” one that would allow people to enter and exit the building, classes to be held and campus administration, which is housed in the building, to continue operations.

Campus administrators later directed the University Police Department to clear the building, and a violent scrum ensued at the main entrance to Siemens Hall, as police with riot shields attempted to push their way in and protesters pushed back, attempting to hold the space. Three people were arrested that night before police stood down, leaving demonstrators inside Siemens Hall and a crowd of hundreds of onlookers that had gathered in the quad.

A tense standoff ensued, with demonstrators barricading the building’s entrances and surrounding area, and occupying the hall for a week. In the ensuing days, Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson closed campus, threatening anyone who entered with arrest, abruptly shifted all courses online and made plans to hold commencement ceremonies off campus. On April 30, a force of hundreds of officers brought in from throughout Northern California cleared the campus, arresting 32 people. (The Times-Standard reported 14 of those were current students, one was a faculty member, nine were former students and the eight others were local residents unaffiliated with the university.)

The number of people arrested the night of April 22 and when the campus was ultimately cleared totals 35, and it’s unclear when and under what circumstances the other arrests referenced by Eads occurred.

Cal Poly Humboldt administration has faced sharp criticism over its handling of the protests, with the University Senate passing a vote of no-confidence in Jackson, and hundreds of faculty and staff signing a letter calling for the president and his chief of staff's resignations. Jackson has since announced he will step down next month, retreating to a faculty role, though he said the decision was in the works well in advance of the protests that roiled campus.

And last week, an independent police auditor working for the city of Eureka issued a report detailing Eureka police officers' involvement in the April 22 protest response, which was sharply critical of UPD's handling of the incident, saying its "operational planning was regrettably deficient."

Check this week’s Journal for a full report on the latest developments.