Activists arrested during pro-Palestine protests at Emory appearing before judge
ATLANTA - Multiple protesters arrested during a clash between law enforcement and pro-Palestine activists at Emory University will have their first court date on Wednesday.
It's been more than a year since an attempt by multiple law enforcement agencies to clear an encampment on campus escalated into a chaotic situation that ended with dozens arrested.
The backstory:
On April 25, 2024, a group of protesters set up camps and displays on the Emory quadrangle, saying the protest was in support of the people of Palestine and against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Emory officials said the protesters who had set up an encampment were trespassing on private property and refused to leave, leading the school to ask the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol for assistance.
The officers used Tasers and pepper balls to bring the crowd under control. Several people were placed in handcuffs and loaded into vans. Authorities say 28 people were arrested in the chaos.

Protester shot with Taser during Emory protest
Georgia State Patrol trooper used a Taser while detaining one of the pro-Palestine protesters at Emory University in Atlanta. Multiple arrests have been made on campus.
Video circulated widely on social media shows two women who identified themselves as professors being detained, with one of them slammed to the ground by one officer as a second officer then pushes her chest and face onto a concrete sidewalk.
The school claimed that the group were activists who were not connected with Emory, with a spokesperson claiming that the protesters were "attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals." Days later, Emory President Gregory Fenves backtracked from that claim, saying it "was not fully accurate."
Dig deeper:
In the days following the arrest, Fenves announced that the university would conduct a review of the events surrounding the protests to "develop recommendations to improve how we keep our community safe."
"Let me be clear: I am devastated that members of our community were caught up in law enforcement activity enforcing the removal of the encampment. The videos of these interactions are deeply distressing. I take Thursday’s events very seriously and we are launching a thorough review of them so that we can develop recommendations to improve how we keep our community safe," Fenves wrote.

APD body cam footage shows Emory protest chaos
Atlanta police have released hours of body camera footage from the department's clash with pro-Palestine protesters on the campus of Emory University on April 25. One clip shows a protester ripping police tape before officers moved in to arrest her.
Following the arrests, a majority of both Emory's undergraduate students and the faculty senate for Emory's College of Arts and Science have voted in favor of a no-confidence referendum against Fenves.
In August, the school announced a change to its Open Expression Policy, banning students, staff, and faculty members from camping and protesting on campus between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. and prohibiting all encampments and building occupations.
What's next:
Activists say in the time since the arrests, some of those who were taken into custody have had their charges dismissed or have either completed or are working to complete a diversion program.
The Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is planning to rally outside the DeKalb County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon before the remaining protesters' scheduled court appearance to call for all charges to be dropped.
The arraignment hearing will take place at 1:30 p.m.
The Source: Information for this article came from a release by The Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and previous FOX 5 reporting.