The University of Tennessee Police Department (UTPD) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating a complaint filed by one of the 11 pro-Palestine protestors arrested on the university’s campus on May 15 during an anti-Israel demonstration.
Yassin Terou confirmed he filed the complaint in a post to the social media platform X, where he appeared to claim his efforts are aimed at changing how UTPD treat protestors.
“I’m using my voice not to be against the police,” wrote Terou (pictured above), “but to improve the way” police “protect our citizens” during protests.
My complaint with UTPD is not about why they arrested me and if they have the right to do or not is something the law and the protection of free speech has to decided but is more about the people to stay safe during arrest and to get out a life what some people didn’t ,I’m using…
— Yassin (@Yassin_Falafel) May 21, 2024
The arrests happened after the University of Tennessee (UT) previously warned the protests must conclude by May 11.
Of the 11 arrested, three were reported to be current UT students. The Daily Beacon reported the university stood by its decision to involve law enforcement, declaring, “Eleven group members were taken into custody, including three students and eight people not affiliated with the university. Any student arrested will also be referred to student conduct.”
WLTV 8 confirmed Terou to be among those eight. It additionally reported that UTPD Public Information Officer Ryan Moore confirmed the start of an internal investigation into the complaint.
“Mr. Terou has completed a complaint form and been in contact with our department. We will follow our process and investigate any concerns brought to our attention. All events from Wednesday May 15, 2024, are documented fully on bodycam,” Moore noted. “Per policy, we do not release the complaint form until the investigation is complete.”
Organizers of the protest that preceded Terou’s arrest previously issued a list of demands to the university, insisting UT join the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement that many Israelis consider anti-Semitic.
The protestors also sought to compel the university to cut ties with weapons manufacturers and permanently end its opportunities for students to study abroad in Israel.
A previous protest at UT was dispersed on May 2, and organizers reserved UT’s Student Union Cumberland Plaza for their most recent event.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
