Protesters supporting and opposing Israel over the war in Gaza clashed, chanted and pulled over police barricades in a large and noisy demonstration at UCLA on Sunday, just a short walk from where pro-Palestinian students held several Have been camping with tents for days.
By late morning, a rapidly growing crowd, numbering in the hundreds, had gathered on the grass at UCLA’s Dixon Court, with protesters shouting obscenities at each other.
The protest came a day after police were called to USC, where pro-Palestinian protesters returned with tents and set up camp again in Alumni Park, days after 93 people were arrested in campus demonstrations.
At UCLA, Israel supporters draped in the country’s flag and waving small American and Israel flags attempted to make their way past a screen set up on the lawn by protesters protesting pro-Palestine demonstrations. On one side, a group of men and women in keffiyeh scarves linked arms, attempting to block access to the stage, with protesters shouting even as the speech began.
A aviator Distributed in advance said Sunday’s UCLA counterprotest was organized by the nonprofit Israeli-American Council, which on Thursday used social media Condemning pro-Palestine demonstrations on American campuses.
“It is completely unacceptable that any university campus should become a platform for pro-terrorist and anti-American activities,” the statement said in part, calling the protests “blatantly anti-Semitic.”
“We demand that university leaders and governing bodies across the country demonstrate zero tolerance towards organizations that support terrorism and violence… (and) take immediate and immediate action as permitted by law to stop these violent demonstrations.” Take decisive action.”
A GoFundMe campaign supporting the UCLA counter-demonstration had raised nearly $66,000 as of Sunday morning.
At the center of their conflict is a Hamas attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, and Israel’s counter-war on Gaza territory. Gaza health officials say Israeli forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. The United Nations says some 2 million civilians in Gaza are now living in near-famine conditions.
The conflict has led to demonstrations on university campuses across the United States in recent weeks and resulted in the arrest of more than 700 people, according to various news sources.
At both UCLA and USC, protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza have been organized, and drawn counter protestor on the outskirts of the camp to rally against Hamas and call for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
“Jewish students at UCLA are talented and resilient and they are proud and they speak loudly,” Dan Gould, executive director of Hillel at UCLA, told protesters from a pro-Israel platform set up on the campus lawn on Sunday. “We are on the right side of history.”
Across the lawn, protesters held signs ranging from hand-made “Free hugs to Jewish students” to the pre-printed “I take bananas to Israel.” A woman broke away from pro-Palestinian protesters and was confronted by pro-Israel protesters before being escorted out without violence. Pro-Palestinian protesters set up a plywood barricade around their camp. Through a gap in the wood, a man could be seen waving a large Palestinian flag.
The director of UCLA’s Nazarian Center, a coalition of both social and political Israeli studies, on Saturday voiced support for those who oppose Israel’s blockade and annexation of Gaza. But Dov Waxman drew the line at demanding UCLA sever ties with Israeli universities and foreign study programs.
“The center is dedicated to the academic study of Israel and has no affiliation with the Israeli government,” Waxman wrote. Additionally, Waxman named one of the groups that is organizing the campus protests, Students for Justice in Palestine. Waxman said the group has expressed support for Hamas.
“I know that many in the pro-Palestine movement do not support Hamas and do not praise the October 7 massacre, but groups like SJP lead movements on many college campuses, and are sympathetic to the suffering of many students. “Students and faculty demonstrating in support of the Palestinians should not ignore the fact that the organizers of these demonstrations, in many cases, are ideologically driven to dismantle Israel and take advantage of the Palestinians,” Waxman said. Israelis are committed to expelling Jews, supportive of violence against Israeli civilians, and willing to ignore or even ignore Hamas’s strategy of sacrificing Palestinian civilians for its political purposes. Justify.”
USC is embroiled in bitter controversy over Cancellation of graduation speech slot For Honorable Asna Tabassum and subsequent cancellation “Main Stage” Opening Ceremony, Los Angeles police arrested 93 protesters Earlier in the week, and tensions rose again on Saturday when pro-Palestinian protesters again set up a tent encampment in Alumni Park.
Protestors at USC beat drums and put up banner Reading “Free Palestine,” “We are all Gaza,” and “Stop funding genocide.” According to witness reports and university statements, two structures with spray-painted messages were destroyed – the Tommy Trojan statue and a fountain in Alumni Park. The LAPD issued a “tactical alert” Saturday evening, temporarily dispatching dozens of squad cars to the precinct. After the police left, dozens of protesters ate dinner and sat in their tents, the students said.
USC’s campus has been closed to the general public since Friday, with access restricted to residents and registered visitors. Further steps were hinted at with the approach of commencement ceremonies beginning on 8 May. The traditional central ceremony has been canceled but separate events are still planned for individual schools.
“While the University fully supports freedom of expression, these acts of vandalism and harassment are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Vice President of Campus Communications Joel Curran said in an email statement Sunday that President Carol Folt made several attempts to meet with students, but they rejected the overtures. “We are hoping for a more appropriate response on Sunday before we are forced to take further action. “This area needs to start setup as early as this week.”
In previous UCLA demonstrations, hundreds of students, faculty, and alumni gathered without any arrests or suspensions. Students at the camp chanted “Free Palestine” and other anti-war messages, as well as the more controversial “Intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” in a case VIEWED BY THE TIMESA protester entered the pro-Palestinian camp and pushed a woman to the ground.
UCLA has used private security guards on bicycles and metal barricades to separate the groups.
“UCLA’s approach to camping is guided by several equally important principles: the need to support the safety and well-being of Bruins, the need to support the free expression rights of our community, and to avoid disruption of our teaching and learning mission. need to reduce,” Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said in a statement Friday on campus.
“It is also important to note that we are following the University of California system-wide policy guidance, which directs us not to request law enforcement involvement in advance, and only when there is a physical threat to our campus community. Be absolutely necessary to protect security.”
