A left-wing professor from California State University Channel Islands has been arrested for allegedly throwing a tear gas canister at federal immigration agents during a chaotic protest at a California farm suspected of child labor violations.
Jonathan Caravello, a math lecturer at CSUCI, was taken into custody Thursday in Camarillo, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). A DOJ affidavit alleges that during the protest, Caravello picked up a tear gas canister deployed by border patrol agents and hurled it back in their direction, nearly striking a law enforcement officer in the head. The affidavit further claims Caravello threw the canister multiple times and resisted arrest by grabbing an agent’s leg and refusing to provide his name.
Caravello has been charged with assault and resisting or impeding a federal officer.
The protest took place during a federal raid on a marijuana farm in California that authorities say is under investigation for employing illegal immigrants, including minors, and for potential child labor violations. Federal agents reported that several individuals found at the farm had serious criminal records.
The Daily Caller reported that Caravello had publicly identified himself the day before the arrest as a volunteer with VC Defensa, a left-wing activist group that helped organize the protest. During a Wednesday meeting of the Camarillo City Council, Caravello said he had “recently” begun volunteering for the group and declared that “no one is illegal” in response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions.
Both VC Defensa and the Party for Socialism and Liberation called on protesters to confront federal agents at the scene. One social media post shared by the groups praised demonstrators for standing in fields “to protect [the] area from more agents coming in.”
According to Ojai Valley News, Caravello has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on August 1.
