The Los Angeles City Attorney declined to file criminal charges on most arrests made in April and May 2024 during pro-Palestine protests. 

LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced in a Friday press release that UCPD referred 245 arrests to her office relating to May campus protests, all of which were declined due to insufficient evidence. Feldstein Soto’s office also received referrals for “criminal conduct separate and apart from protesting,” which were either declined for insufficient evidence, referred to a City Attorney hearing or resulted in charges, according to the press release. 

The office received over 300 referrals from arrests made during protests at both UCLA and University of Southern California in April and May 2024, according to the press release. Those which were declined were done so for “evidentiary reasons” or due to either university’s failure or inability to assist in identification or other information necessary for prosecution. 

The announcement comes on the first anniversary of the beginning of the Palestine solidarity encampment outside Royce Hall. Counter-protesters attacked and attempted to storm the encampment the night of April 30 and the morning of May 1. UCPD swept the encampment May 2, resulting in hundreds of arrests. 

UCPD referred 205 arrests from protests on May 1 and 2 and 40 arrests from a protest on May 6 to Feldstein Soto, all of which she declined to file due to insufficient evidence. 

Four of the referrals for “criminal conduct separate and apart from protesting,” which were not specified and came from protests at either UCLA or USC, were declined for insufficient evidence. 

One UCLA and two USC cases were referred to a city attorney hearing – an informal pre-filing proceeding that is an alternative to a misdemeanor criminal prosecution. 

Two arrests resulted in criminal charges. 

Matthew Katz was charged with alleged assault and battery, false imprisonment and human trafficking, and resisting arrest from alleged conduct at UCLA, according to the press release.

Edan On, the first person charged over the April 30 and May 1 attack on the Palestine solidarity encampment, was charged with alleged assault and battery and brandishing a deadly weapon also from alleged conduct at UCLA. 

“I want to thank the attorneys in my Criminal Branch for their dedication to the rule of law and their commitment to objectively evaluating the evidence and referrals received on each of these matters,” Feldstein Soto said in the press release.

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement Friday saying it welcomes the filing of criminal charges against On. 

The organization previously designated UCLA as an “institution of particular concern,” saying it created a hostile campus environment for Palestinian, Muslim, Arab and Jewish students, staff and faculty speaking out against the war in the Gaza Strip.

On’s charges were reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor in June by then-LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who said he could not establish that On’s conduct resulted in injury against the victim that night or that he was working in collaboration with any other people.

“The City Attorney supports the lawful exercise of speech and assembly and her Office is committed to protecting every individual’s Constitutional rights to public speech and lawful public protest,” the press release said.