Following a major anti-Israel demonstration near Chicago's O'Hare Airport, a Northwestern University law professor is providing legal assistance to some of the arrested organizers. Sheila Bedi, director of the university's Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic, is representing four activists pro bono, according to legal documents. The clinic, as stated on the university's website, focuses on addressing over-policing and mass imprisonment through social justice initiatives.

The April 2024 protest involved 40 individuals blocking traffic on Interstate 190, disrupting access to the airport. Bedi's involvement has drawn criticism, particularly from Ted Frank, litigation director at the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute. Frank questioned the allocation of resources to defend these activists, highlighting the broader legal needs within the community. He also criticized the protesters' disruption of a system he considers beneficial, referring to them as wanting to replace it with "barbarians."

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the protest organizers, seeking compensation for travelers impacted by the traffic disruption. Rifqa Falaneh, a "Justice Fellow" at Palestine Legal, has also been named in the lawsuit and identified as a key organizer. Falaneh has reportedly filed civil rights complaints against Northwestern on behalf of students alleging anti-Palestinian discrimination.

This incident is part of a larger wave of anti-Israel protests across the country. In response to campus unrest, new bills in the Illinois legislature aim to address hate-based discrimination on college campuses, including measures to facilitate lawsuits against negligent institutions and mandate the appointment of administrators to oversee compliance with civil rights laws. This legislative action follows a federal investigation into several universities for allegedly allowing anti-Jewish sentiment to flourish.

While a Northwestern spokesperson stated that Bedi's work doesn't necessarily reflect the university's views, neither Bedi, Palestine Legal, nor Northwestern University have provided further comment.