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When Trump supporter, proto-fascist movement builder and now disgraced pedophile supporter Milo Yiannopoulos announced he was coming to campus to speak on December 7th, 2016, Michigan State University (MSU) President Simon rolled out the red carpet to make sure that Yiannopoulos’ event was a successful one.

MSU administration/police planning for the event began as early as September 2016, as we learned from police reports. In October, Simon’s police contacted officers from other university campuses where Yiannopoulos had already spoken and faced protestor opposition in order to plan their response to anyone who showed up to protest Yiannopoulos speaking at Conrad Hall on the MSU campus. On December 7th, the day of the event, MSU police were ordered to arrest any protesters who were in front of the entrance doors, to take the tickets for the event, and to bar the press from entering the event. After we were arrested, instead of using the other available exits the police marched us down the aisles of the half-full auditorium to the jeers and shouts of the Milo supporters and out the back door in an attempt to demoralize & humiliate us. That night, however, everyone except for one person who was arrested had their charges dropped for lack of evidence.

Two and a half months later, after picketing and making noise on the MSU campus in support of the lone anti-fascist who was still facing charges, the prosecutor, under pressure from the MSU administration, reissued warrants against us, even though our charges had been dropped immediately after the original protest. This now brings the total number of our people arrested from the December 7th Milo Yiannopoulos back up to five.

We are charged with a combination of Failure to Obey a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, and Obstruction. We are innocent of all charges and want them dropped immediately.

We cannot let this prosecution send a message to the alt-right and the other fascist elements in and out of the Trump movement that MSU is a welcoming campus for their recruitment efforts and attacks on oppressed minorities.

If you are in the Detroit/Lansing area, please come to our court date in East Lansing, Michigan on Wednesday at 10AM in Court 54B at 101 Linden Street to support getting the charges dropped.