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Leonardo Tilelli
Leonardo Tilelli was arrested at a pro-Hamas encampment at the University of South Florida (USF) in 2024.
The profilee's activism occurred during Israel’s war against Hamas, which Israel launched after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks when Hamas murdered nearly 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds.
On April 30, 2024, Leonardo Tilelli was arrested and charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, felony resisting an officer with violence, three counts of resisting an officer without violence, two counts of unlawful assembly, and trespass on property other than a structure or conveyance. Tilelli's charges were based on his actions at the USF encampment.
The encampment was part of a national movement on college campuses in 2024 during Israel’s war against Hamas. The encampments were also in support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
As of February 2025, Leonardo Tilelli's LinkedIn profile said he had been a community volunteer at USF from March 2024 to February 2025. Tilelli's LinkedIn Education section listed "Communications" at USF.
USF is located in Tampa, Florida.
As of May 2025, Leonardo Tilelli was listed as living in Holmes Beach, Florida.
On April 30, 2024, ten anti-Israel activists were arrested during a rally at USF, organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). All protestors were charged with unlawful assembly, and two were charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. One arrestee was booked on aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony with a weapon, and another on possession of a firearm on school property, also a felony.
There were over 200 pro-Hamas and anti-Israel college encampments set up in North America, and over 20 more globally, in the spring of 2024. The first began on April 17, 2024, at Columbia University. The encampments were unofficially known as the “student intifada,” borrowing a term associated with terrorist violence.
Protesters harassed Jewish students, blocked Jews from campus facilities and shouted anti-Semitic slogans. They occupied campus grounds, in many cases illegally, caused property damage, violently took over buildings, celebrated terrorism and promoted the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Activists set up encampments to oppose Israel’s right to wage war against the Hamas terror group following October 7, 2023, when Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 people, including 32 American and 8 Canadian citizens. Hamas also kidnapped 252 people, including 11 Americans and the bodies of 2 murdered Canadians.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by pro-terror activist Omar Barghouti in 2005 to turn “Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.” Barghouti has also called for Israel's destruction and the BDS movement demands would result in that same goal.
BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.
The movement’s most notable achievement has been infiltrating university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments propose resolutions to boycott or divestment from Israel or Israeli-affiliated entities. BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents and pro-terror activism on campus.
