A student from the University of Illinois who admitted to police he threw a rock at Jewish students during an April protest was charged with a hate crime, The News-Gazette reported.
Sayed A. Quraishi, 23 was charged with a Class 3 felony and faces a maximum of five years in prison, State Attorney Julia Rietz announced.
A University of Illinois police report stated that at around 5 p.m. on April 18 the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine held a protest that stopped at the campus Hillel. Approximately 75 protesters stood outside listening to speakers giving speeches using bullhorns.
In response, Jewish students and staff from Hillel played music and served snacks on an outdoor patio.
According to the report, one of the Hillel staffers witnessed a protester throwing a rock at the Jewish students.
Campus police said that the rock thrower was captured on a surveillance video and was later identified as Quraishi. The student admitted he had thrown the rock and said he did it as a protest, according to The News-Gazette.
