(U-WIRE) AUSTIN, Texas – Ajai Raj, a University of Texas English sophomore, was released from Travis County Jail around 3 a.m. Wednesday after being arrested for disorderly conduct during political commentator Ann Coulter’s speech at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library auditorium on Tuesday.

According to the police affidavit written by an arresting officer, Raj was arrested for using “profane and vulgar language” and performing an “obscene gesture.” Disorderly conduct is a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $500. Other offenses considered Class C misdemeanors include: minor possession of alcohol, public intoxication, noise violation and simple assault.

Raj has not yet appointed a defense lawyer. Although he was approached by several activist groups that offered pro-bono lawyers, Raj said he has not chosen one. He said he hopes his case will be dropped.

“(Activist groups) told me that this kind of case gets dropped all the time,” Raj said. “Besides, what did I do wrong?”

When Coulter, a right-wing pundit who is also the author of four New York Times best-sellers, opened the room for a question-and-answer session on Tuesday night, Raj used profanity in asking a question about sodomy.

After the question, Raj ran about 30 yards from the microphone to the back of the aisle, making a repeated hand motion simulating masturbation, according to the police affidavit. This caused an “immediate breach of the peace within the crowd,” the affidavit stated. At this time, two University of Texas Police Department officers approached him and arrested him for disorderly conduct.

“What I did was to make a joke of the whole thing,” Raj said in a written statement. “I have no regrets … Saying profanity at a college isn’t a crime last time I checked. It seems like the whole free-speech thing is a myth.”

The University’s free-speech policy states that a person has to be warned three times for disrupting a speech before he or she can be removed.

John Grube, chairman of the Distinguished Speakers Committee, which helped organize the event, said even though Raj was not warned individually, the audience had been warned twice about the possible consequences of disrupting Coulter’s speech. Further, Grube said the University’s free-speech policy does not apply in Raj’s arrest.

“When you break a law like cussing in public and making vulgar gestures, three warnings are out the door,” Grube said.

Raj said he intended to leave the auditorium when he was arrested. When he asked why he was being arrested, police officers took it as an aggression and forced him to the ground, he said. Raj said he was bruised on the back of his right shoulder during the arrest.

Grube said Raj was flapping his arms and jumping, which called for a physical restraint.

Reactions to Raj’s arrest varied across the University campus.

“It’s pretty ridiculous to go in and protest something like that,” said Jordan Root, an incoming chairman for the College Republicans at Texas.

– Mark Son

“He had the option of not going at all. Children were there, too. People didn’t go there to hear what he said, they went there to hear Ann Coulter speak.”

Matthew Korn, who attended the speech as a part of International Socialist Organization, which organized a protest against Coulter, said Raj was reacting to Coulter’s speech. He said Raj’s arrest was not justified.

“Ann Coulter was giving threats to liberals, making homophobic comments and saying very racist and sexist things,” Korn said.

University Democrats Vice President Ali Puente said even though she finds Coulter’s speeches offensive, the method Raj used was wrong. However, she felt that the arrest wasn’t necessary.

“I’m saddened that actions of a few individuals make people with progressive causes look bad,” Puente said. “He could’ve chosen a more civil method of protest that would’ve achieved his goal.”

Grube said while he supports having different opinions at speeches, it’s wrong to be disruptive during speeches because it impedes other people’s rights.

After the speech, Coulter was surprised by the University’s tolerance of people who disrupt speeches, Grube said.

“Ms. Coulter said, ‘Unlike other universities, you wait until the last moment to arrest somebody. Some other universities do it immediately when the speech is disturbed.'”