Police made eight arrests at the demonstrations, including at least four De Anza College students, according to arrestees. Authorities later released four of those detained without filing charges. Eight people have said they were arrested Friday night, on charges ranging from felonies including assault with a deadly weapon to misdemeanors, such as disturbing the peace.
They have identified themselves as Aiman, Adonis, Kareem Almujahed, Hanni Zaki, Shakr, Brian Helmle, Muhammad Abdi and Algrie Hurd III.
Hurd said he was a graduate sociology student at San Jose State, married and with a family.
Almujahed said he did not attack anyone during the protest.
Aiman Ettilib said he was attacked by police after a class let out, but they did not arrest him until later, when he was walking down the street. "I didn’t do anything," he said."He asked to be arrested"
Brian Helmle was one of three protesters who asked to be arrested by police, according to Deputy Terrance Helm, Santa Clara County Sheriff ‘s Department’s Public Information Officer.
Helmle said he did not ask to be arrested. He blew a whistle and chanted until authorities seized it, he said, continuing as they picked him up and carried him out "like a duffel bag," and did not say anything to event security or police at the time of his arrest.
"He asked to be arrested," said Helm – ‘Okay, I’m ready to be arrested, I’m protesting, go ahead,’ it was something like that, some kind of ‘protest arrest.’"
Helm said three protesters were arrested for violence, on charges like disturbing the peace and assaulting a police officer. He said of the three, one was arrested in Jollyman Park in Cupertino after challenging a police officer to fight. A second was in the parking lot near the smashed police cruiser after taking part in what appeared to be an invisible game of hackysack, using what Helm referred to as "invisible soccer techniques."
The man refused to leave when asked, said Helm, before becoming violent. "He rushed an officer, and the officer took him down."
Helm said a third man was arrested after refusing to comply with police requests.
The pepper spray officers brandished was not used, said Helm. He said it would have incapacitated officers as well as protesters.
Some people who were arrested said it was used at least twice, when officers attempted to subdue them.Melissa Lewis contributed to this story.