Pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampment on UCLA campus

WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One day after more than 90 people were arrested following pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of USC, a similar protest was held on the Westwood campus of UCLA, with participants forming an encampment of tents outside Royce Hall.

Several dozen protesters were sitting inside the encampment, which was established early Thursday morning, with about 40 to 50 tents.

Organizers of the "Palestine Solidarity Encampment,'' similar to their counterparts at USC, issued a list of demands that include divestment of all University of California and UCLA Foundation funds from companies tied to Israel, along with a university call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and an academic boycott by UC against Israeli universities, including a suspension of study-abroad programs.

Participants erected a makeshift wooden fence alongside the encampment and displayed signs with slogans such as "UCLA Says Free Palestine,'' "Blood on the UC Hands'' and "When people are occupied, resistance is justified.''

"There's students, there's community members, it's a large coalition of people who are here together with similar demands," said UCLA student Tai Min, one of the organizers. "All the people here, we're committed to this fight. We've been here for months, in different capacities. Everyone here has been organizing in different ways for a long time. Everyone on this campus has been aware of what's been happening for over 200 days, and we want to just really amplify our demands and finally make it clear to the administration why we're here and what we're demanding for: transparency in finances, no more funding of genocide, statements about the genocide, acknowledging the genocide. That's why we're here."

UCLA issued a BruinAlert Thursday, saying it's monitoring the situation to "support a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our community's right to free expression while minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission."

Officials said classes will continue as planned but access to Royce Hall and the Powell Library has been restricted. Students who need to access Royce Hall are being asked to show their Bruin card for entry.

Supporters of Israel also showed up to voice their opinions.

Many are condemning the demonstration, accusing some of the rhetoric being used to be antisemetic.

"It's not unexpected considering everything going on in other campuses. We kind of anticipated this coming here," said Rabbi Dovid Gurevich with the Chabad House at UCLA. "It's still very unfortunate. It makes many Jewish students feel unsafe and targeted, and general hatred is not pleasant thing to be around."

"Top priority is safety"

Mary Osako, the vice chancellor of UCLA Strategic Communications, issued a statement Thursday, saying the university's top priority is always "the safety and wellbeing of our entire Bruin community."

"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."

USC cancels main graduation ceremony amid controversy over valedictorian speech, protests

Citing "new safety measures," USC canceled the main graduation ceremony that had been planned for May 10.

"With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially," read a statement posted on USC's website. "As a result, we will not be able to host the main stage ceremony that traditionally brings 65,000 students, families, and friends to our campus all at the same time and during a short window from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m."

The university says it will still host dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school commencement ceremonies where students cross a stage and receive their diplomas.

"We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band."

Tensions were already high after the university canceled a planned commencement speech by Asna Tabassum, the school's pro-Palestinian valedictorian over safety concerns.

Tabassum recently spoke out after the university's move, saying she isn't buying the safety claim and said she wasn't provided specifics when she pressed university officials.

"Almost a one-way conversation - and then the next day they came to me, they gave me a call and said 'It's unfortunate, but you don't get to speak,'" Tabassum recalled.

USC Provost Andrew Guzman previously said that debate over the selection of Tabassum to give the commencement speech took on an "alarming tenor." Her speech would have presented "substantial" security risks for the event that draws 65,000 people to campus, he said.

While Guzman did not specify whether there had been threats, he said "we cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses."