Four people sentenced in brawl at ‘Palestinian Resistance’ seminar, NC police say

Four people have pleaded guilty in connection with a fight that erupted at a “Palestinian Resistance” seminar, according to prosecutors in western North Carolina.

The fracas occurred June 29, 2024, at the West Asheville Library in Asheville, where “Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair” was hosting an event titled “Strategic Lessons from the Palestinian Resistance,” the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office said in a March 11 news release.

Three people reported they were “surrounded and assaulted” by other attendees, while trying to live-stream the event on social media, the District Attorney’s Office says.

Among the three victims was a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, prosecutors said.

“The victims told officers another attendee forcefully took one of their cell phones, after which a large crowd proceeded to attack and assault them,” police reported in a 2024 news release.

“The victims suffered minor injuries and were checked out by EMS.”

It’s estimate 80 to 100 people attended the seminar, and the crowd was dispersing when police were called to a “fight in progress,” officials said.

Three of the suspects were identified as: Michael Solomon Brocenos, 34; Tyler Byrne Hackett Kelly, 33, and Emily Kathryn Murphy, 38, officials said.

The three were initially charged with ethnic intimidation, but pleaded guilty to simple assault in the case, prosecutors said

A fourth suspect, 35-year-old Taylor Danielle Zarkin, pleaded guilty to resisting a public officer at the scene, officials said.

Superior Court Judge Louis Trosch placed all four on supervised probation for one year. Among the conditions: Complete 30 hours of community service, have no contact with the victims, and refrain from posting about the event on social media, prosecutors said.

The incident sparked a community debate on “the distinction between anti-Zionism and ethnic intimidation,” but the sentences were focused on the “physical assault and the defendants’ conduct,” officials said.

“The court utilized a statutory conditional discharge in the case. If the defendants remain fully compliant with the terms of their probation for one year, the court will dismiss the charges,” the District Attorney’s Office said.

“The victims were advised of their right to attend and speak at the sentencing, were present at sentencing and expressed satisfaction with the disposition of the case.”

Asheville is about a 130-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Four people sentenced in brawl at ‘Palestinian Resistance’ seminar, NC police say."