Presidential Candidate Jill Stein Arrested for Assault During Protest at WashU

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein found herself among approximately 80 individuals arrested on Saturday, April 27, 2024 night at Washington University in St. Louis during a protest.

The demonstration stemmed from the arrest and suspension of students the previous weekend during a sit-in protest at a university event for prospective students.

The protest, which escalated around 10 p.m., saw hundreds of demonstrators moving from the WashU campus to the St. Louis County jail in Clayton, where numerous protesters were detained, including Stein.

Stein spent six hours in police custody, being booked at the jail at 7:26 p.m. and released at 1:30 a.m. She spoke with 5 On Your Side following her release, revealing that she faces charges of assault.

“I sat a long time sitting alone in a cell, and I had no idea— ‘Did anybody even know I was there?’ I was separated from the group, and I was like, ‘Am I going be there all night or in here for a week?’” Stein recounted.

In response to the arrests, WashU issued a statement indicating that everyone arrested would be charged with trespassing, with some potentially facing additional charges of resisting arrest and assault for injuries sustained by university officers.

Stein asserted that she faces charges for assaulting an officer but contends that she was the one assaulted.

“I got separated from the rest of the crowd, you know, and actually initially felt like there was a lot of safety in numbers. Then, it turned out I was being charged with assault after being assaulted by an officer on a bicycle and basically thrown onto my head,” she explained.

Despite the arrest and charges, Stein expressed confidence that it would not impact her campaign.

“I don’t think it really changes things except to show that we are not hypocrites, you know, and that we are really putting our money where our mouth is— that is behind students and young people and really supporting their moral authority to lead us forward on this issue,” Stein asserted said.