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The Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office recently announced its decision to file trespassing charges against 68 people involved in anti-Israel protests at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

Protesters reportedly refused to obey law enforcement orders to disperse their camp and leave campus in April.

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The district attorney strongly criticized the protesters’ actions in an Oct. 9 press release, noting that the protesters’ conduct violated several university rules and local laws, endangering the safety of ASU Tempe faculty and students.

“The right to free speech does not extend to breaking the law,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “The university’s policy is clear: tent camps are not permitted in this specific area of ​​campus. The demonstrators – many of whom were not students – were repeatedly given the opportunity to peacefully dismantle the camps and leave the area.”

“ASU, along with local law enforcement, had a responsibility to keep the area safe for students and faculty,” Mitchell continued. “My office now plays the equally important role of holding these people accountable for their actions.”

The protesters were charged with trespassing back in May after police made dozens of arrests at the demonstration in late April. ASU stated after the protest that approximately 80 percent of those arrested were not ASU students and stressed that its decision to end the protest was consistent with its commitment to protecting free expression.

“While the university will continue to be an environment that promotes freedom of expression, ASU’s top priority is to provide a safe and secure environment that supports teaching and learning,” the university said at the time.

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A judge in Arizona subsequently dismissed the original charges against the protesters without prejudice, leaving the MCAO free to file charges.

Then-senior Breanna Brocker expressed disappointment in the state’s decision to dismiss the case without prejudice rather than prejudice, suggesting that she and her colleagues would have been afforded greater protection if ASU had “truly respected” the right to free speech would have appreciated.

“I’m glad the charges were dropped. I’m a little upset that she was dropped unscathed,” Brocker told a local ABC affiliate. “I really thought ASU stood up for our right to assemble and our right to free speech — I’ve seen protesters on campus before.”

Campus reform has reached out to ASU and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.