Rich Felker, a Graduate Arts and Sciences student and member of Students for a Free Tibet, was arrested in the Rotunda Monday for attempting to chain himself to a banister inside the building during a speech by Yang Jiechi, the Chinese ambassador to the United States.
University Police arrested Felker and charged him with two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and an attempt to participate in and/or incite a riot, University Police Capt. Michael Coleman said.
Felker was detained and escorted out of the Rotunda and subsequently taken to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Jail.
"Due to my unwillingness to answer questions without an attorney, I was denied immediate bond," Felker said.
Felker said he was held overnight and released Tuesday morning following a personal recognizance bond hearing, during which he agreed to abide by certain terms including a May 4 court appearance.
He added that should he fail to meet the terms of the bond, he will be required to pay the full bond amount of $5,000.
Minutes prior to his arrest, another unidentified student stood up in the middle of the Rotunda and interrupted Jiechi's speech. The protestor shouted questions on the topic of the childhood kidnapping of the Panchen Lama, who is considered by most Tibetans to be the second most important spiritual leader, after the Dalai Lama, Felker said.
"He just kept talking, almost robot-like, then someone came over from the side and touched his arm, and he turned, robot-like, and marched out on his own," said George Gilliam, director of special programs at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, who organized the event.
Following the incident, Gilliam stood up and requested that the audience accord Jiechi the privilege of finishing his remarks without interruption until the question and answer period.
"He didn't cause any particular disturbance -- it was over very quickly," Gilliam said.
Both protesters are members of Students for a Free Tibet, an organization made up of students and Tibetan members of the University and Charlottesville communities. According to Felker, their two main objectives are to campaign for the release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk who is scheduled to be executed by the Chinese government, and to oppose the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Gilliam expressed disapproval regarding the intruder's behavior and manner of protest.
"The disappointing aspect was not that they held strong opinions and wanted to present them, but that it was done in a disruptive, disrespectful way," Gilliam said.
He also noted that the Miller Center tries to present speakers on controversial topics and allots a large portion of time to a question and answer period for students to discuss issues.
"We try to let each side have their say and respect the other," Gilliam said.
Felker said he believed the charges were somewhat unreasonable but is optimistic about his cause.
"Our organization is stronger than ever right now -- all of our members were very inspired and motivated by what happened on Monday," Felker said. "We plan to move forward full speed ahead"
Read More
Faculty Senate discusses proposal to separate faculty position renewal from promotion
By Lexie Stadler | 6 hours agoAGF are non-tenure-track professors who hold roles primarily focused on teaching, research, academic librarianship and clinical service.
Board of Visitors approves increased tuition and other rates for 2025-26 school year
By Brandon Kile | 6 days agoIncreases for tuition at the graduate schools ranged from a 0.6 percent increase on the lower end at the Graduate School of Engineering to a 4.1 percent increase on the higher end at the Graduate School of Data Science.
Committee on the College at Wise discuss successes despite worries about enrollment
By Ford McCracken | December 10, 2024Henry said while the College at Wise is certainly susceptible to the enrollment cliff, it has taken steps to avoid a dropoff in applicants and students.
