On April 28, fights erupted at UCLA between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel supporters when a barrier meant to separate the opposing groups was breached.
Stand With Us organized an 11 a.m. rally to show support for Jewish students following several days of pro-Palestinian protests at various campuses across the U.S. The rally was co-sponsored by the United Jewish Coalition, the Israel American Council, and related organizations.
The Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice had scheduled a 9:30 a.m. demonstration to support students’ right to protest in response to a request from pro-Palestine protesters on campus.
Mary Osako, vice chancellor of UCLA Strategic Communications, stated, “This morning, a group of demonstrators breached a barrier that the university had established separating two groups of protestors on our campus, resulting in physical altercations. UCLA has a long history of being a place of peaceful protest, and we are heartbroken about the violence that broke out.”
According to the Daily Bruin, the confrontation between the two groups took place on the lawn between Haines Hall and Kaplan Hall.
Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli American Council, was among the speakers at the pro-Israel rally, where he announced, “We will take back our campuses, from Columbia to UCLA and everywhere in between.”
No arrests were reported by midday Sunday.
City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky reassured, “My team and I are closely tracking the protests at UCLA today, and are in close communication with UCLA leadership and City officials to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on campus.”
Over the weekend, pro-Palestine protesters expanded their campus encampment, while counter-protesters played loud music and shouted chants about Palestine near the encampment.
As of Sunday morning, groups supporting the counter-protesters had raised $64,478 on GoFundMe to support Bruins for Israel, surpassing their initial goal.
Both UCLA and USC have seen a growing number of pro-Palestine protesters, with demands for divestment from companies tied to Israel and an academic boycott against Israeli universities.
The University of California issued a statement opposing boycotts and divestment from Israel, emphasizing the importance of academic freedom and the exchange of ideas on their campuses.
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