Sebastian Rowan, a University of New Hampshire graduate student, was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest on campus and held in jail overnight. Despite this, he managed to defend his Ph.D. dissertation proposal just two days later.
Rowan is one of over 3,100 protesters, many of them students, who were arrested at demonstrations across more than 100 campuses this spring. While some charges have been dropped, others, like Rowan’s, remain pending.
Despite the potential consequences, Rowan remains vocal about speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. Similarly, other arrested students express no regret for their involvement in protests demanding divestment from ties to Israel.
The arrests and charges have brought legal and emotional challenges for many students, impacting their mental and physical well-being. Universities, though limited in their ability to drop charges, can influence legal proceedings.
The stories of these arrested students shed light on the activism and resistance taking place on college campuses and the broader societal impact of criminalizing dissent.