6 Cal Poly protesters could face charges after blocking SLO intersection

Stephanie Zappelli, Chloe Jones
·2 min read

Six Pro-Palestine protesters were booked into jail on Thursday after blocking an entrance to Cal Poly, and they could face misdemeanor and felony charges, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office booking log.

Police also cited and released two other protesters on Thursday, according to Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier.

At about 7:30 a.m., a handful of protesters set up wooden barricades in the crosswalk of California Boulevard and Campus Way to protest Israel’s attacks on Gaza and to demand that Cal Poly divest from companies that support and profit from the war.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the San Luis Obispo Police Department and Cal Poly police responded to the demonstration. At least 20 police vehicles were on the scene, and officers blocked vehicle traffic from entering the intersection. About 30 people had joined the protest by mid-morning, witnesses told The Tribune.

Police started arresting protesters at about 10:50 a.m., and the protesters and police had dispersed from the intersection by 11:50 a.m.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office had not officially charged any of the protesters as of Friday morning.

Sheriff’s deputies in riot helmets assemble as backup while detain eight pro-Palestine protesters who blocked the intersection at California Boulevard and Campus Way near Cal Poly on May 23, 2024.
Sheriff’s deputies in riot helmets assemble as backup while detain eight pro-Palestine protesters who blocked the intersection at California Boulevard and Campus Way near Cal Poly on May 23, 2024.

What charges did police arrest the protesters for?

The San Luis Obispo Police Department arrested Mohamed Cheour, 25, on suspicion of two misdemeanors: obstructing movement in a public place and resisting arrest, according to the booking log.

The booking log also listed a felony charge for Cheour, for use of a riot to remove a person from police custody. His court date is scheduled for June 6.

Cheour’s bail was posted at $50,000 at 5:10 p.m. on Thursday, according to the SLO County Jail’s inmate lookup. By Friday morning, he was no longer in custody at the jail.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cal Poly chemistry professor Jay Charles Erker, 43, on suspicion of misdemeanor resisting arrest, the booking log said.

The Cal Poly Police Department arrested Alexis Barksdale, 24, and Theodore Lee, 21, on suspicion of misdemeanor obstruction of movement in a public area.

Lee’s bail was posted at $0 on Thursday at 5:10 p.m.

Cal Poly police also arrested Alejandro Bupara, 29, and Haley Pinney, 28, for remaining present at an unlawful assembly after being told by police to disperse, which is a misdemeanor.

Those five protesters have since been released from jail and are scheduled to appear in court on July 22.

Police also cited and released Henry Miller and Barbara Wildman, according to Lazier.