Moment Arizona State University student CRIES after finding out punishment following arrest during anti-Israel protests

An Arizona State University student breaks down in tears in front of the court house following her arrest after learning she won’t be allowed to graduate.

Breanna Brocker, a senior who took part in the pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus, told ABC 15 that she won’t be able to graduate as her suspension will cause her to miss her final exam.

‘I’m a little disappointed,’ she said. ‘I’m being restricted from a lot of things right now that I, that I didn’t expect to be for first standing up for something that I believe in.’ 

The Arizona Board of Regents stated that ASU would collaborate with students facing suspension to ensure completion of final exams or assignments, even while the court case proceeds. However, it’s unlikely their suspension will be lifted before the day commencement takes place.

‘I have, I have family coming in who I have to let them know to, you know, not come to my graduation ceremonies.’ 

A 2020 high school grad, she will miss her second chance to take part in a proper graduation ceremony. 

But despite the punishment, she said she doesn’t regret standing up for what she believed in.

‘I was doing what I believed was right, and I still believe it to be right. I would stand up for the cause again, even if it means something negative for me,’ she further said.

‘So much harm has been done to all of those people already.’

At the end of the day, Brocker said the Palestinians in Gaza are the ones actually suffering.

‘I am safe. I am fine. I might not graduate and that might harm future job prospects, but I’m not in physical danger. I’m not constantly worried about being hurt or being forced from my home or anything like that. I would absolutely stand up again and protest again,’ she said.

Brocker was one the 72 individuals arrested and taken into custody for continuing to protest on ASU’s campus despite being given multiple warnings about the potential legal and academic consequences.

She was also one of the 20 students the U.S. District judge denied preliminary injection to to lift the ban on students who were suspended after the protests.

In a statement, ASU wrote that the group of protestors, of which only 15 were students attending the university, set up prohibited encampments on Old Main lawn.

Those that refused to leave were arrested and charged with criminal trespass.

The students filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents, citing violations of their First Amendment rights and causing ‘irreparable harm’ their suspension is causing them as they are unable to enroll in classes. 

Judge John Tuchi ruled that the students did not provide sufficient evidence that either of their claims were true.

The judge’s decision comes even though the trespassing charges against the students haven’t even gone to court yet.

‘Getting a restraining order or preliminary injunction is a very high burden, very difficult to do so I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,’ attorney David Chami, who is representing the 20 ASU students in this case, told ABC 15.

‘The actions that they used to arrest and the decision they made to suspend without having all of the evidence sets to be contrary to what we do in this country — innocent until proven guilty, right? In this case, the school decided to suspend even before they had all the evidence, all the facts.’

Back in November, ASU canceled an on-campus event where Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was due to give a speech.

The Arizona Palestine Network, which is not an on-campus organization, arranged the ‘Palestine is an American issue’ event.

This came after Tlaib was censured by her colleagues in the US House of Representatives for defending Hamas and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state earlier this month.

The University said that the event did not comply with policies and procedures, which is why it was canceled, which the group said was false. 

A spokesperson of the University told Fox: ‘Organizers of events using ASU facilities must be properly registered with ASU and must meet all university requirements for crowd management, parking, security, and insurance.

‘In addition, the events must be produced in a way which minimizes disruption to academic and other activities on campus.

‘The event featuring Congresswoman Tlaib was planned and produced by groups not affiliated with ASU and was organized outside of ASU policies and procedures. Accordingly, that event will not take place today on the ASU Tempe campus.’

The decision to cancel the Michigan Congresswoman’s talk sparked outrage among pro-Palestine students.

Once the cancelation was announced, the Arizona Palestine Network criticized the university and said the institution was ‘blocking’ their right to Free Speech.

They claimed that all policies and procedures had been followed.

In a lengthy Facebook post, the group wrote: ‘The Arizona State University administration would have the public believe that the event with Rep. Rashida Tlaib was cancelled due to it being planned by outside organizations, but this is demonstrably false.

‘Several student groups were directly involved with the process of planning this event in direct coordination with the University since AUGUST. All proper procedures and guidelines were followed to ensure the event happened in accordance with University policy, across several documented meetings.

‘For the ASU administration to then claim that failure to follow proper procedure was the reason for the event’s cancellation, is a clear and bold faced LIE. The actions of the University were a clear attempt at blocking an expression of Free Speech that they do not agree with.

‘ASU tried to silence Rashida’s voice, our voice, but it only inspired us to become much louder!’

The pro-Palestine group also launched a petition not to cancel the event, where students were asked to copy a template they had posted with their name and email University officials.

The petition called the cancelation unacceptable and a violation of the University’s charter.

In retaliation, the group and its supporters launched a protest on the ASU campus.

Dozens of protestors were photographed holding Palestinian flags and signs congregated on the Tempe campus.

According to the organizers, due to safety concerns, protesters also got to hear Tlaib’s speech remotely through a Zoom call on a laptop.

In an Instagram video, Tlaib says: ‘This is not about me only. It’s a movement that’s growing beyond just one person, and that is what’s so threatening to Arizona State University.

‘Do not let the University sway you all. What you are doing is powerful and impactful,’ she continued.

‘People are going to ask you where you were during this moment. And you’re going to say I was focused on saving lives – nothing controversial about that.’

After Tlaib’s speech, attendees heard from Palestinian-American Arizona state Rep. Athena Salman who had also remotely called into the protest. She commented that she was disappointed in ASU ‘trying to pull the plug’ on the event, saying it was ‘not accidental.’

‘The University has chosen ethnic intimidation, to shut down the voice of the person who is speaking out against such violence against the Palestinian people,’ Salman said.

‘What message does that send to the student body, to the Arab students, to the Muslim students, to the students who are advocating for peace, advocating for ceasefire, advocating for solutions?’

Other universities, such as USC and Columbia University, have gone as far as cancelling their main commencement ceremonies altogether to avoid potential safety hazards in the midst of the pro-Palestine protests sweeping college campuses nationwide.