Four arrested for riot in pro-Palestinian protest at Rutgers Hillel

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Four arrested for riot in pro-Palestinian protest at Rutgers Hillel

Front view of the Rutgers Hillel house. W&E BAUM/Handout

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 23 (ZFJ) — Three Rutgers students and one Cranford man unaffiliated with the university were charged with rioting and other offenses during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Rutgers Hillel on April 29, 2025.

On that day, Rutgers Hillel, located on the College Avenue campus, held a roundtable with U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer to, according to a press release from the congressman, “speak with students about the alarming rise in antisemitism on college campuses across the country.” Pro-Palestinian groups (including Anti-Zionist Minyan, Students for Justice in Palestine at Rutgers New Brunswick, East Brunswick for Ceasefire, Rutgers Students for a Democratic Society), organized a protest against the event. Rutgers police report that the protest occurred at about 7:45 p.m. and that it set up a designated protest area.

According to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, “four of the protestors refused repeated requests” from Rutgers police “to clear the public sidewalk.” The statement says that Rutgers police attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the group did not comply, so officers formed a protective line.

“Individuals attempted to breach the line causing officers to declare that the assembly was unlawful in which a dispersal order was attempted,” says the statement. Authorities allege four protesters breached the line while the dispersal order was issued and were arrested for riot, a charge that requires that someone “participate with four or more others in a course of disorderly conduct.” The university also suspended the three students.

Thomas Whitehead, 25, of Cranford, was charged with aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer (third degree), riot (fourth degree), and resisting arrest (disorderly persons offense). The charging officer alleges in an affidavit of probable cause that Whitehead refused to leave after a dispersal order was issued and walked up the front steps of the Rutgers Hillel house.

“The defendant then became violent and struck Officer Biundo (Badge #3922) on the top of the head with a metal flag pole,” wrote the officer, who also alleges that Whitehead tried to pull away from arresting officers and did not comply with their orders.

The police report notes that the officer who says he was struck reported a sore sensation from an injury to the top of his head and small lacerations to the left ring finger.

Lexi Tassone, 21, of Cresskill, was charged with riot (fourth degree) and resisting arrest (disorderly persons offense). The arresting officer alleges that she refused to comply with a dispersal order and “approached the front outdoor stairs of the Hillel House.” The officer also alleges that she tried to pull away from arresting officers and did not comply with their order to place her hands behind her back.

Hana Hassan, 23, of Budd Lake, was charged with riot (fourth degree). The arresting officer alleges that Hassan continued up the Hillel Center stairs “after being given a lawful dispersal order, read by officers on scene, to not approach the premises.”

Jasmine Rodriguez, 24, of Atlantic City, was charged with riot (fourth degree). The arresting officer writes that they were dispatched to the Hillel Center “for the report of people fighting due to a protest” and saw upon arrival that “multiple arrestees were sitting on the stairs in front of the building.” The officer alleges that Rodriguez failed to comply with multiple dispersal orders.

The three Rutgers students were issued criminal summonses, and their cases are being handled in New Brunswick Municipal Court. Whitehead was held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pre-trial hearing on May 6, 2025.

“The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office along with the Rutgers University Police Department value free speech and support peaceful protests,” reads the prosecutor’s office press release. “However, the pursuit of these Constitutional Rights cannot interfere with Rutgers operations or deleteriously impact public safety.”

Rutgers Hillel criticized the protesters and thanked law enforcement.

“We are appalled by the violent escalation that took place outside our building as one protester allegedly assaulted a police officer with a flag pole and some protestors yelled antisemitic slurs at Jewish students,” said Rutgers Hillel in a statement posted to Instagram.

Rutgers Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) condemned the arrests as attacks on the pro-Palestinian student protest movement and asserted that it “will not be intimidated by this escalation from the police and Rutgers admin.” The organization demanded that all charges be dropped and suspensions lifted.

“Students at the rally faced intimidation from Zionist counter-protestors and police,” wrote Rutgers SDS on Instagram. “About an hour into the rally, police violently attacked the crowd and arrested 4 protestors.”

“The arrested students have all been charged with felonies for ‘rioting’, and received suspensions and ban from campus. One protestor is also being charged with assaulting a police officer.”

Rutgers SDS and other pro-Palestinian groups have since held rallies, signed petitions, and attended court hearings in support of the four defendants.

The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Lieutenant Melvin Breton of the Rutgers University Police Department at (848) 932-8025 or Sergeant Andrew Winter of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4178.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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