DENVER — Eight pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who were arrested during a demonstration at the Auraria Campus Tivoli Quad back on April 26, 2024, are now suing the Auraria Campus Police Department.
Nearly one year since being arrested, the plaintiffs in the case are arguing their first amendment rights were violated by police officers on that day.
"Last year, on April 26, I stopped by the campus to peacefully protest against the genocide in Gaza," said Joie Ha, one of the plaintiffs in the case filed Wednesday. "I was also there to support our students, who, you know, we always say, are the future of our country, and they have also always been, historically and currently, the moral compass of our nation."
According to the civil lawsuit filed in Denver District Court, Ha "saw messages on a Slack chat by individuals requesting help in removing the tents from Tivoli Quad." The lawsuit goes on to say "Ha arrived at the Quad around 1:15 p.m. and immediately began assisting individuals who were already in the process of dismantling the tents. Once the tents were fully removed, Ms. Ha joined the crowd that had gathered to support the individuals sitting on the ground. Law enforcement never issued a dispersal order while Ms. Ha was at the Quad."
The lawsuit goes further saying "around 2:00 p.m., without warning, four officers grabbed Ms. Ha and two students standing next to her, violently pulling them to the ground. Because their arms were linked, there was a struggle as law enforcement forcibly separated them. Rather than instructing Ms. Ha to stand, four officers each grabbed one of her limbs and dragged her across the ground before taking her into custody."
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Ha told Denver7 she was shocked in that moment.
"The police came in riot gear, and they aggressively began arresting everyone there, so from students to educators to community members, they did so in ways that were very brutal," she said. "They were pulling people to the ground, kneeling on them, pulling people's arms behind their back, and handcuffing them all for peacefully protesting. It was quite traumatizing, to say the least."
"It was incredibly physically painful, actually and so I think in a lot of ways, it was both emotionally and physically, really traumatizing," she said.
Azra Taslimi, a civil rights attorney with Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, is representing the plaintiffs in the case.
She's arguing they were peacefully protesting when they were arrested.
"They were engaged in First Amendment protected speech," Taslimi said. "They were not violent. They did not block buildings. They did not disrupt campus operations. They simply stood in a line."
Back in April 2024, a spokesperson for the Auraria Higher Education (AHEC) said the encampment that formed at the Tivoli Quad violated their policy. Although students were allowed to peacefully protest, setting up tents was a violation, the spokesperson said.
Taslimi argues the plaintiffs in the case never set up tents, instead just chose to stand alongside other demonstrators.
"This was about suppressing speech, and this was about using police power to suppress political speech," she said.
Denver7 reached out to the Auraria Campus about the lawsuit. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
The Auraria Campus has not been served with any civil rights lawsuit related to the events of April 26, 2024. Based on available media reports, it appears that the individuals involved chose to engage with the press prior to notifying either the Auraria Campus administration or the Auraria Campus Police Department.
We are also aware of several misrepresentations reported in today’s media coverage. As with any legal matter, Auraria Campus remains committed to following the appropriate legal processes and protocols. We will be prepared to respond accordingly if and when we are served.
Our priority continues to be transparency, accountability, and the safety and well-being of the Auraria Campus community.
For Ha and Taslimi, the goal is clear.
"The hope is that in filing this lawsuit, ACPD is going to take away a similar message that they need to, you know, have a very conscious approach to handling and how to deal with these protesters," Taslimi said.
You can read the full complaint in the document below.
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