Arrested at UW Madison’s Violent, Antisemitic Riots

ZEBULUN FAZEL

Zebulun Fazel was arrested at the UW Madison encampment riots on Library Mall in May of 2024. He was charged with UWS18.10(7)-Resisting / Obstructing by failing to follow commands and was forcefully removed from the line and restrained on the ground by law enforcement with a citation to be issued.

Over the course of several hours, campus leaders engaged with those protesting on Library Mall, asking them to remove the illegal tent encampment, giving printed warnings, and offering to meet with protest organizers once the tents were removed from campus grounds.

Their warnings were met with violence.

Riots soon followed, with four police officers, including three Dane County deputies and one State Trooper, injured, according to UW-Madison Police, when a protester struck their head with a skateboard.

Campus officials said four officers were injured and 34 people were arrested Wednesday as police tried to remove protesters’ tents from a central square at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. pic.twitter.com/IYS1w36JKA

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 1, 2024

Thirty-four students and faculty members were arrested at the encampment riot at UW’s Library Mall, with charges ranging from battery, disorderly conduct to attempting to disarm a peace officer.

The UW Madison encampment and ensuing riots that Zebulun Fazel was arrested at were organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, a group who backs “‘armed resistance’ by Hamas,” according to the New York Times.

In response to the UW Madison Library Mall riots, Students for Justice in Palestine UW Madison posted “Long Live Gaza. Long Live the Student Intifada” on their Instagram page.

UW Madison’s failure to confront antisemitism head-on has led to uncontrollable escalation. Now, the administration must hold these individuals accountable and apply standard policies to prevent this hatred from continuing to thrive on campus.