Arrested Dartmouth seniors allowed to attend college graduation this weekend

Dartmouth graduate students who were arrested during protests against Israel's war in Gaza will be allowed to participate early next weekend, after a judge agreed to change their bail conditions.

Most of the 89 people arrested during the May Day protests were students. Since then, bail conditions have barred those arrested from certain parts of campus, including Dartmouth Green, the site of protests and the upcoming commencement ceremony. Joe Earles, an Atlanta graduate, was charged with criminal trespass. He said he was relieved to learn he will be able to walk across the stage during this weekend's ceremonies.

“I have family that comes from all over and I'm really excited to see whatever happens, but it would have been really, really hard to say, 'Oh, thanks for coming and thanks for all the support for my time here.' , but you won’t get to see me walk, you won’t get to see me do what you came here to do,” Earles said.

Graduating seniors will be allowed access to Dartmouth Green on June 8-9 only. Other students and faculty charged during the protests will still not be able to access the area, meaning they will not be able to attend the main graduation ceremony.

Jana Barnello, a Dartmouth spokeswoman, said school officials asked the court to allow everyone back on the campus lawn for graduation, but that request was denied.

“The court decided to grant this exemption only to the 14 students who will graduate next June,” Barnello said via email. “While we hoped for a different outcome for everyone who requested an exemption, we are pleased that all 14 students will be able to attend back-to-school activities this weekend. »

In recent weeks, the university dropped charges against two student journalists involved in the arrests following growing outcry from press freedom advocates, but declined to do so for other students arrested during the protests. Arrests of the rest of those arrested are scheduled for July and August.

Despite the bond change, Earles said he was still frustrated with how Dartmouth leaders handled the protests. Dartmouth President Sian Beilock has faced scrutiny from students and faculty for her decision to call the police on protesters and for her unwillingness to drop charges against everyone arrested. He said being banned from Dartmouth Green, the school's main social and community gathering space, took a toll on his final month of college.

“This seems like an unfair punishment for the alleged crime,” he said. “I don’t think anyone was made safer by 60 students not being able to access the Green.”

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally released by New Hampshire Public Radio.