LAPD officers in riot gear arrived at USC early Sunday morning to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment.
USC issued an alert saying the LAPD had arrived and people should leave the center of campus. Authorities gave protesters the chance to leave before being arrested. A group of about 30 protesters left the camp as the LAPD pushed them toward the university entrance on Jefferson Boulevard.
Around 5 a.m., police entered the heart of the encampment and began removing tents and establishing a perimeter outside University Park where media and protesters gathered. The operation moved quickly and after the tents were taken down, the encampment appeared empty and quiet around 5:45 a.m. It was unclear whether any arrests had been made.
Protesters chanted “free and free Palestine” as they faced police on the perimeter, beating drums as helicopters flew overhead.
“Please report to USC now. They won’t let you in, but we can mobilize people around the perimeter,” said a live video posted by protesters to the USC Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation Instagram page at 4:30 a.m.
Last month, Los Angeles police arrested 93 people on suspicion of trespassing last week while clearing an encampment in the center of campus.
But protesters reinstated the campsite last weekend. In a campus-wide letter released FridayUSC President Carol Folt indicated the camp would not be allowed to stay any longer.
“The university is legally obligated to ensure that students, faculty and staff can move freely around our campus while pursuing their studies, work and research,” Folt said. “Every part of our campuses, including Alumni Park, must be fully accessible and free from vandalism and harassment. »
The Alumni Park encampment now has at least 40 tents and about 50 people, according to student organizers. Despite the arrests, students said there is currently no heavy police presence around the camp, except for a few campus security officers.
However, USC Annenberg student journalists reported that Nancy Alonzo, assistant director of the USC Village Residential Colleges, visited the campground Saturday afternoon and read aloud another letter to members of the student movement .
“The encampment must be destroyed, as we have already mentioned, your encampment and your acts of vandalism and theft of university property violate policies and the law,” Alonzo was quoted as saying. “These policies actually exist to protect the safety and security of every member of our community and we must enforce these policies consistently, as we always have.” Then we also created an alternative free speech zone, accessible to everyone, and you can move the camp there. »
Members of the student coalition said they were not allowed to take a photo of Alonzo’s letter or receive a physical copy.
Students at the camp, who call themselves the Divest from Death Coalition, said they do not want to move to the designated free speech area behind Leavey Library south of W. 34th St.
“The locations of protest cannot be dictated by those in power, because then it is no longer a question of the freedom to demonstrate and assemble,” declared the spokesperson for the camp, who did not wish identify themselves out of fear of retaliation from the USC administration and students opposed to their participation. activism.
The spokesperson described Saturday evening as “calm” and “relaxed.” During the interview, students could be heard clapping in the background. An Instagram story posted by Trojans for Palestine showed students sitting in Alumni Park on picnic blankets and buckets of orange paint from Home Depot, clapping and chanting “we will not be moved.”
But the protesters were prepared to be arrested, the spokesperson said.
“There is fear in the air. There is trust. There is passion. We have the courage to defend the people of Gaza,” they said. “No matter how this occupation plays out, it is still a victory for us because we have caused disruption and discomfort within the USC administration. We have stopped our usual activities in recent weeks.
The decision to clear the camp on April 24 sparked anger, after USC banned valedictorian Asna Tabassum from speaking at her May 10 commencement – a first in the 143-year history of the university – due to unspecified security threats. The move comes after pro-Israel groups criticized Tabassum for a link on his Instagram profile directing people to a pro-Palestinian website.
This led officials to cancel the debut altogether.
But on Friday, USC announced plans to hold a “Trojan Family” graduation event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The event will take place on Thursday, May 9 at 8:30 p.m., USC announced Thursday. The university promises a drone show, fireworks, surprise performances and the Trojan Marching Band. The university also promised a special gift for the Class of 2024.
USC is the latest university to take action against the camps.
At least 25 people were arrested early Tuesday at Cal Poly Humboldt. The same night at UCLA, a large group wearing black outfits and white masks attacked pro-Palestinian protesters, throwing objects and attempting to tear down barricades surrounding the encampment. The violence sparked criticism of the university’s handling of the protests.
By Thursday, more than 200 people had been arrested after police descended on UCLA’s Westwood campus to clear out protesters and begin dismantling the encampment.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are demanding an end to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Israeli divestment.
Encampments are in full swing on California campuses, including UC Irvine, Occidental College, Sacramento State, San Francisco State and others.
At least two other Southern California colleges – Chapman University and Cal State LA – joined the movement this week. Students at Cal State Long Beach held a rally Thursday, but said there were no plans for an encampment.
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