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Charges dropped against UF student in Naples at pro-Palestinian protest

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Charges dropped against UF student in Naples at pro-Palestinian protest

Although charges against 26-year-old Parker Hovis were dropped, the University of Florida did not overturn his three-year suspension.

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Less than six months after his arrest during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Florida, the judge presiding over the case of a Naples student has granted a motion to dismiss the case.

On Tuesday, Alachua County Court Judge Susan Miller-Jones granted a motion to dismiss trespassing and resisting charges without violence charges against 26-year-old Parker Hovis.

Hovis, an expert in computer science, also received a three-year suspension from university. He was one of six University of Florida students arrested.

He said he was one of five students given a three-year suspension, and that suspension remains in effect even though the charges were dropped.

“Many faculty groups have attempted to meet with campus administration over the past several months to call for our suspensions to be lifted, but administration has not responded to these requests,” Hovis said.

At least 20 officers from the Gainesville Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol were at the protest site. During the detention, protesters shouted at the police.

Messages written in chalk on the pavement read: “This is not a war, it is genocide” and “UF withdrew immediately.”

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Protesters have gathered in the square since April 24. Hovis and other students were arrested on April 29.

The group of protesters gathered in front of the police station outside Peabody Hall just before 9 p.m. on April 29. Chants of “Let them go” and “UFPD, KKK, IDF are all the same” were chanted.

At the same time, protesters appeared unaware that the nine detained men were chained together and loaded into an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office van parked in front of Criser Hall. The various charges include failure to comply with police, resisting arrest without violence, wearing a hood or mask on public property, trespassing, and felonies.

Hovis told the Daily News he recently moved out of state to live with his family.

He said his arrest left him with “significant credit card and personal loan debt” in Gainesville.

“This is great news. But the not-fantastic news is that the genocide in Palestine is still ongoing. It is estimated that more than 119,000 deaths are attributable to Israel’s war on the people of Gaza, whether from bombings, shootings or shootings. Hovis said and led to denial of access to medical care, he said. “Yet our country’s complicity and support for these atrocities remains unwavering. Now, more than ever, we need to enforce international and U.S. law through an arms embargo. We must support boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. “End our complicity in genocide, apartheid and the illegal occupation of Palestinian land.”

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at [email protected] or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltranInstagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

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