In what could appear to be an out of character move for the Manhattan district attorney, charges have been dropped for the anti-Israel protesters who were found to be disrupting the peace.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped the charges against the protesters who occupied Columbia University in April, as Fox News reported.
Thirty students and staff members were arrested during the unrest on campus, but the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided to drop the cases against them.
"All these matters are dismissed and sealed in the interest of justice," Judge Kevin McGrath announced in the courtroom.
On April 30, hours after occupying Hamilton Hall, an academic facility, all of the protesters were apprehended and initially charged with trespass in the third degree, a misdemeanor.
Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutor Stephen Millan, stated that there was insufficient evidence for any case that the defendants caused any harm or damaged property.
It was reported by Reuters that he noticed that the protesters were wearing masks and the surveillance cameras were obscured.
All of the students who were arrested were awaiting disciplinary proceedings from Columbia University, which included suspensions and expulsions, according to the prosecutors. None of the students had a history of engaging in criminal activity in the past.
"The Office is continuing to pursue cases from both campuses, including all assaults against police officers," the DA's office said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Columbia and the City University of New York.
"There are ongoing school disciplinary proceedings for the students who had their case dismissed."
When contacted by reporters, Columbia University declined to provide a response regarding the withdrawn cases. The chaotic protests occurred alongside a number of other aggressive demonstrations that took place earlier this year.
During these events, anti-Israel demonstrators established illegal encampments on college campuses across the nation in protest of Israel's conflict with Hamas. The protests were further exacerbated by Columbia's decision to implement widespread suspensions.
The allegations against an additional 13 defendants were not dismissed by Bragg's office. Two of the 13 were Columbia students, while the remaining 11 were not affiliated with the institution, despite the fact that the majority were alumni.
Their cases would have been dismissed had they refrained from being taken into custody within the next six months. However, they declined the offer and are scheduled to appear in court on July 25 of this year.
