A pro-Palestinian protester was found guilty by a Lane County jury last week and sentenced on Thursday to 60 hours of community service and 18 months of probation for second-degree disorderly conduct.
The sentencing marks the conclusion to the first of several trials for individuals arrested in April on charges of walking into the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Eugene to block traffic in support of Palestinians.
Now dubbed “A15,” thousands of people across the nation participated in demonstrations meant to disrupt the U.S. economy on April 15, Tax Day, and call for officials to stop supplying arms to Israel and end the siege in Gaza. The local branch in Eugene has remained active in response to the arrests and charges brought to more than 52 people over allegations that they walked onto the roadway. Last week, “a15eugene” on Instagram asked protesters to “pack the court” for the first trial.
Samuel Yergler was found guilty on Oct. 4 for “unlawfully and recklessly” creating a risk of public inconvenience, annoyance and alarm by obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic on I-5. Yergler has participated in anti-war demonstrations for years. They said during a testimony Thursday morning that they have been arrested for protests throughout the U.S., including states such as California, Nevada, Chicago, Arizona and Maine.