With throngs of supporters by their sides, seven of the 18 people arrested at a protest last month outside the Lawrence Holidome appeared Thursday in Douglas County District Court.

Judge Paula Martin seemed surprised by the large number of visitors in her courtroom, where it was standing room only.

“Do we have a class visiting, can somebody tell me?” Martin asked.

“We’re here supporting our friends,” someone in the courtroom shouted.

Four of the seven protesters in court Thursday face more serious charges stemming from a July 21 rally outside the Holidome, where former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Kansas U.S. Sen. Bob Dole and former President Jimmy Carter had gathered inside for one of the Dole Institute of Politics dedication events.

Three of the protesters are accused of battering police officers and one is charged with obstruction and criminal use of a weapon, namely a slingshot, according to police.

Those four suspects — Erika R. Ochoa, 19, Lawrence; Leo C. Jalipa, 22, Columbia, Mo.; Wesley Teal, 19, Lawrence; and Adam W. Schorger, 19, Franktown, Colo. — all had hearings Thursday to set trial dates, but Martin instead granted them more time at the request of their attorneys.

Meanwhile, the District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against three other protesters who appeared in a courtroom down the hall. On Tuesday, prosecutors had declined to file charges against seven other protesters.

“It’s pretty obvious they couldn’t prove everything,” David Strano, 21, of Lawrence, said after learning no charges would be filed against him at this time.

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Prosecutors have two years from Thursday’s court date to refile charges. However, Dist. Atty. Christine Kenney said the cases against 14 of the 18 arrested protesters, including the three who did not have charges filed against them Thursday in district court, instead would be transferred to Lawrence Municipal Court.

“All but the four appearing today (Thursday) were referred to municipal court,” Kenney said. “I think those reports went over late last week or early this week.”

Officials at municipal court said they had not received the paperwork. City Prosecutor Jerry Little said a slight delay in transferring the paperwork was common.

The four protesters who already face charges received new court dates of Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18.

“I think they’re using those four as scapegoats by isolating four out of the 18,” Strano said. “I think the D.A.’s strategy is to get plea bargains to go through in court because they know they’ve got no way to prove anything.”