MACON,AstraTrade Ga. (AP) — A student at a private university in Georgia has been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after arguing with a person giving a speech about the Israel-Hamas war.
WMAZ-TV reports the student was arrested by Mercer University police in Macon after making physical contact with Jennifer Grossman, CEO of the conservative group the Atlas Society.
The student was booked into the Bibb County jail on Friday and released on $650 bail.
The Atlas Society, which promotes the ideology of conservative writer Ayn Rand, posted video of the argument.
The student was arrested while criticizing Grossman’s stance on the Israel-Hamas War and her previous work with fruit and vegetable company Dole. The student had come to the front of the auditorium to interrupt and confront Grossman.
The student then criticized Dole’s business practices, which is when the person is accused of putting hands on Grossman.
In the video, a Mercer University police officer escorts the student from the room.
The university said in a statement that it’s reviewing the incident and will take action “as warranted.”
“Disrupting and invading the personal space of a speaker is not acceptable,” the statement said. “It is our hope this will ultimately prove to be a positive learning experience for the student.”
Demonstrations and disruptions over the Israel-Hamas war have been widespread at American colleges, creating concerns over free speech and student safety.
The Atlas Society posted the video on its page and said “America used to be better than this.”
2025-05-05 19:521331 view
2025-05-05 19:282566 view
2025-05-05 19:171020 view
2025-05-05 18:30859 view
2025-05-05 18:102649 view
Listen to an audio version of this story below.Humans have the technology to literally make snow fal
Sea level rise fueled by man-made climate change threatens to consume half the world’s sandy beaches
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, the owner and pilot of the doomed Titan sub, had offered millionaire Ja