Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take over plaza at UCLA

Students and non-student activists built an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles on Thursday, erecting tents and barricades in a scene similar to one that unfolded on the campus of the University of Southern California on Wednesday and resulted in dozens of arrests.

The demonstration in Dickson Plaza was promoted by the UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the activist group People’s City Council to denounce Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on civilians near the Gaza border that left 1,200 dead. The war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Signs at the gathering featured slogans like “UCLA says free Palestine” and “Resist White Supremacy Genocide Zionism,” along with those calling for the university to divest all ties to Israel.

“We are really focused on creating a loving and welcoming community, and that is what this struggle is about. It is about centering humanity … and our focus at the end of the day is to end the genocide and call for a cease-fire,” one demonstrator told KTLA 5 News reporter Chip Yost.

Aerial footage from Sky5 showed tents, barricades, and hundreds of protesters gathered in the plaza with no intervention from campus security or Los Angeles police as of early Thursday evening.

“Our top priority is always the safety and wellbeing of our entire Bruin community,” UCLA spokesperson Mary Osako said in a statement. “We’re actively monitoring this situation to support a peaceful campus environment that respects our community’s right to free expression while minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission.”

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Jewish students, however, shared concern that language being used by protestors, specifically the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is antisemitic.

“There’s a difference between freedom of speech and promoting hate speech,” said Eli Tsives, a counterprotester who carried an Israeli flag. “What is the river? What is the sea? What’s in between? … Israel land. Jewish people are living there. They’re asking for the full extermination of the Jewish people living in the land of Israel.”

Thursday’s demonstration followed unrest on the campus of crosstown USC a day earlier, where protesters clashed with campus security and Los Angeles Police Department officers who were ordered to clear tents and banners, which are not allowed on the campus of the private university.

More than 90 protesters were arrested.

USC canceled its main stage graduation ceremony Thursday as college officials across the U.S. worried that ongoing campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war could disrupt May commencement ceremonies.

Tensions were already high after the university canceled a planned commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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