Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles briefly formed a new encampment, then took over a campus building Thursday before police in riot gear moved in to disperse the efforts.
The protests, which drew hundreds of people, came on the same day that UCLA’s chancellor was questioned at a hearing on Capitol Hill about his handling of a similar encampment last month.
By the afternoon, about 70 protesters had entered Dodd Hall, a university building, closing the doors with cables and computer jackets. One protester, speaking into a megaphone, asked anyone not affiliated with UCLA to leave and acknowledged the one-off nature of the demonstration: “We’re building this plane while we’re flying it. »
But just hours after protesters went inside, police in riot gear stormed in and cleared the building — a contrast to what Republican lawmakers criticized as a slow response to protests in end of April.
Protesters had initially set up a small encampment earlier Thursday in an area known as Kerckhoff Patio, but quickly abandoned it after police wearing helmets and batons moved there. Protesters then fled to an area near Murphy Hall, gathering about 300 people at one point, and then some eventually moved into Dodd Hall.
In recent weeks, student activists have called on the university to divest from companies they see as promoting Israel’s war in Gaza. Their April demonstration was one of the most high-profile protests on campus this year. More than 200 protesters were arrested after a group of pro-Israel counter-protesters attacked the encampment. None of the counter-protesters were apprehended.
Thursday’s protests were short-lived and relatively peaceful, with police responding quickly and students fleeing. The university said it was not aware of any arrests by police.
In a statement, university officials said the protesters were “disrupting campus operations” because they blocked part of the campus.
“Protesters have been informed that if they do not disperse, they face arrest and possible disciplinary action, as well as being ordered to stay off campus for seven days,” officials wrote , adding that the order would apply to anyone, regardless of the case. university affiliation.
Thursday’s actions come as UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block and leaders of Northwestern and Rutgers testified before a Republican-led House committee about allegations of anti-Semitism on their campuses . Dr. Block defended his university’s response to the April encampment, but also expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitism on campuses across the country.
“In hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately withdraw the camp if and when the safety of our community was put at risk,” said Dr. Block, who is due to step down as chancellor at the end of July.
He was questioned by Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, who asked why none of the counterprotesters who attacked the pro-Palestinian camp last month had been arrested. Dr. Block said the university is investigating the attack.
The UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine said the hearing was “a classic example of political theater” that conflated “calls for Palestinian liberation with anti-Semitism” in an attempt to dampen pro movements. -Palestinians. He condemned what he called a “McCarthyist” effort to censor protesters.
News Source : www.nytimes.com
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