Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available. This story has been updated to reflect accurate terminology surrounding Israel’s actions in Gaza.
A Colorado State University student, whose name has not been released at this time, was arrested while protesting at the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering Fall 2026 Career Fair in the Lory Student Center Ballrooms.
The arrest came during a demonstration by CSU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which was protesting against several companies present at the career fair, including Woodward Inc., Lockheed Martin, Hewlett Packard and Caterpillar. Members of SJP argued these corporations should not be allowed to be present on campus and recruit students for internships, as they have played a significant role in the Israel-Hamas war, which has been declared a genocide by an independent United Nations commission.
Ant Albrecht, an SJP member and chair of the Revolutionary Student Union, said police officers told them that the member was being detained for “an altercation” and that the member was transported to the Larimer County Jail. Albrecht confirmed to The Collegian at 4:42 p.m. Oct. 8 that the member had been released on personal recognizance bond, which is a written agreement to appear in court that requires no payment.
Albrecht also said that they and multiple members were physically removed after beginning a chant at the career fair.
“We were demonstrating against genocide profiteers on our campus, and I engaged in a chant against these genocide profiteers.” Albrecht said. “When we began chanting, they removed us by force from the ballroom. At this time, I was grabbed multiple times. I thought I was getting arrested because they did hold my hands behind my back as they were shoving me and my peers outside of the ballroom for, mind you, using our voices to oppose genocide.”
Albrecht said that while they and other members were not arrested by police officers, one member was escorted out of the LSC by officers from the CSU Police Department and taken to the CSU Police Department.
“I at first thought, like the rest of us that were being escorted out, that they would be left outside of the ballroom,” Albrecht said. “They got put in a cop car (and) driven to the police station.”
Isabelle Jezierski, another member of SJP present during the demonstration, said that she watched as police officers detained the student.
“I remember going in there and I hear them chanting and screaming loud, and I was watching police officers literally drag them out,” Jezierski said.
Albrecht said that police officers told them that the member was being detained for “an altercation” and that the member has since been transported to the Larimer County Jail.
Nik Olsen, CSU’s director for crisis communications and public information officer, provided a statement about the arrest to The Collegian at approximately 5:06 p.m. Oct. 8.
“Colorado State University respects and protects First Amendment rights, and there are many places on campus where students and others can engage in free expression,” the statement reads. “A career fair is not one of them. It is a reserved event where students meet with prospective employers, and conduct that disrupts it or interferes with the rights and safety of others is not protected. One student was arrested after becoming aggressive toward prospective employers at the event and toward responding officers. The arrest was based on the individual’s conduct, not the content of their speech.”
The leadership of the Associated Students of CSU provided a statement to The Collegian at 6:13 p.m. Oct. 8.
“ASCSU leadership is aware of the arrest that occurred Thursday afternoon during the career fair in the Lory Student Center,” the statement reads. “We, as a body, strongly support the right of all of our students to peacefully protest on our campus. ASCSU believes we should seek restorative methods and resolve matters peacefully when possible. We will not allow this issue to go unnoticed, and will follow up with all parties involved, just as we will with any of our students facing issues on campus. We want to hear from all of our students who feel impacted by these issues at this event. And, we will continue to gather more facts of what occurred today.”
Reach Claire VanDeventer at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
