EVANSTON, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --Cook County prosecutors are dropping charges against two Northwestern students accused of tampering with the school newspaper.
The Cook County state's attorney's office announced it is dismissing misdemeanor charges brought by Northwestern University Police.
Two students faced theft of advertising services charges after they allegedly distributed fake copies of the Daily Northwestern back in October objecting to the university's stance on the war in Gaza.
On October 25, a single-page flyer that looked similar to the student-run newspaper with the headline "Northwestern complicit in genocide of Palestinians" printed across its lower third could be found on campus.
The paper's publisher and many students called for the dropping of the charges-arguing it was an example of overpolicing Black students and it would create permanent criminal records for the 22-year-old and 20-year-old men.
"These are college students that were engaging in a political protest, one might even describe it as a stunt to make a political point," Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union Illinois, told the Chicago Tribune.
"No one was meaningfully harmed as a result of this."
The State's Attorney's office said the criminal justice system should be used only when there's no other recourse and that the school and campus police are equipped to hold them accountable appropriately.
Northwestern officials said a school review was under way to determine whether policy was violated, according to the Tribune.
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