Pittsburgh Democrats arrested during Palestinian protests against Biden’s election

The newly elected vice president of Young Democrats of Allegheny County, who was arrested earlier this month during a pro-Palestinian protest on the University of Pittsburgh campus, said he is trying to convince other protesters to support Democratic candidates on all ballots – including President Joe Biden.

On Monday, 24-year-old Cory Roma was elected to the leadership position by members of the Young Democrats, a national group of politically active people under 40 affiliated with the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

In an interview with WESA, Roma said his selection was tighter than any of the group’s three officer elections, which he attributed to “controversy” over his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.

Roma said his lawyers advised him not to talk about the June 2 protests related to his arrest. Roma was charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to court documents. Police said Roma participated in pushing and destroying a police barricade.

Roma told WESA how he got involved in protests against the conflict in the Middle East and what role he would like to play in the future of the Democratic Party.

And one of the most important issues, he said, is Biden’s re-election.

“The two options will be either Donald Trump or Joe Biden,” he said. “Even though Joe Biden has made countless mistakes… he will be the only candidate of the two to actually consider or seriously consider the idea of ​​a ceasefire, of sending more humanitarian aid, of ending military aid to Israel.”

Roma said he has presented this information about Biden to other Young Democrats and pro-Palestinian advocates, but he is not sure if it will catch on.

Roma’s election shows that the war in Gaza continues to be one of the most divisive issues in local Democratic politics, even among young people. His election is also evidence that some of the young people most involved in urging the Democratic Party to increase its support for the Palestinians do not see the issue as a reason to split the party as the election approaches.

He added that Roma’s election also means a changing of the guard, as the organization’s management board is more diverse and younger than in previous years.

“The old board was all millennials, and now only one member is a millennial,” he said. “It seems that this election marks a passing of the baton, a changing of the guard.”

Newly activated Young Democrat

Roma said his interest in politics until 2024 was largely personal. He campaigned on the Democratic ticket in 2022, but only got involved with the Young Democrats in January. He had attended Allegheny County Board and Prison Supervision Board meetings as an observer for only the past eight months. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Roma said he has been a recognizable figure since he became a member.

He began learning the history of conflicts in the Middle East after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, he said. He said his interactions with the Young Democrats have made him more externally involved in ceasefire efforts in Gaza.

“At that moment I realized that I was not alone in feeling so strongly about this issue and that it was something that justified the level of commitment we had shown,” he said.

Roma was the only one of the four new Young Democrats officials whose vote required a second count — the group used ranked-choice voting — likely due to the “controversy” over his role in the protests, he said.

“Almost everyone in the group knew about it because it was all over the news and stuff like that,” he said. “So I didn’t talk about it, but it was known throughout the room.”

Before the vote, the Young Democrats asked Roma two questions related to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests, he added. He was unable to answer one of them for legal reasons. However, he said he answered the question of what he would do to make everyone in the group feel safe, especially in light of concerns about anti-Semitic and anti-Palestinian sentiment that has accompanied peaceful protests over the past few months.

Roma were aware of the challenges this poses, especially as pro-Palestinian protesters and supporters of Israel argue over the meaning of words like “Zionist.”

Roma said his appeal to the group was that he said it would be able to help attract young people who had disengaged from or become disaffected with the party. As a queer black man, he said, he can help engage groups of young people who some recent polls show are moving away from the nation’s Democratic Party.

He is also trying to convince young people who support Palestinians to vote for Democrats, he said. Roma said his support for peace in Gaza did not mean he supported Hamas’ actions on October 7 – he condemned what Hamas did.

Roma said the party needs to do more to reach young people of color in Allegheny County.

“We kind of saw the neglect of Mon Valley and Lower Hill (District) and the black parts of the city,” he said. “And as a Black person, I also want to use my role to show up and do targeted activities in these areas of the county… to show that we care.”

Roma grew up with his mother in a housing community in Aliquippa, where, at the age of 7, he witnessed a murder outside his window and also witnessed brutal police attacks on drug dealers, he said. These experiences shaped his political views on issues such as criminal justice.

New public life

Roma said he is pleased with the new connections he has made among local Democrats, but added that he has found it difficult to adjust to being a public figure who is attacked by people because of his appearance and background.

Roma recently got into an online dispute with a radio host who questioned whether Roma should receive disability benefits if he can be so actively involved in the protests. In response, Roma shared on social media platform X that his disability is related to a diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder” and not physical strength. Roma is not currently working or in school, he said, but he earned his GED in 2019 and plans to attend community college in a year or two.

Roma no longer wanted to talk about his conflict online because he believed it would not bring any results.

“I’ve already wasted so much time in my life arguing with a man who probably isn’t really interested in engaging in a debate in the realm of public discourse,” Roma said.

His recent political involvement has also led to anonymous online attacks, he said. Roma said an anonymous commenter contacted his mother and grandmother on Facebook a few days before his grandmother’s death, calling him a terrorist. The news made his grandmother “upset and agitated” in recent days, he said.

“I am a fully grown adult and I am responsible for my actions, no matter what,” he said. “My family’s involvement is very low.”

Roma said the role of Young Democrats vice president doesn’t carry much power, other than chairing meetings when the president is unable to attend. However, his choice gave him new confidence.

“For the first time, I really feel like I’ve accomplished something big here, like I’ve taken a step forward in life, not like I’m in a circle,” he said. “For the first time in a long time, I look in the mirror and I’m proud of myself and the work I’ve just done.”