UCLA Campus Sees Two Days of Protests over Israel-Palestine Conflict, Counterprotesters Clash with Supporters

Friday marked Day 2 of protests taking place on UCLA’s campus. Supporters of Israel were heard blasting music outside the perimeter of the pro-Palestine demonstration. Around 5 p.m., counterprotests broke out, but no arrests or injuries have been reported so far. The main protest involved hundreds of students and activists who set up a Pro-Palestinian camp-in on Thursday morning, which was fortified with walls to create an enclosed space for the demonstration against Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Organisers from Students For Justice in Palestine and the UC Divest Coalition at UCLA orchestrated this protest. The protesters set up various facilities such as a media check-in, medical tent, library etc., within their camp area on campus. There was a brief skirmish between counterprotestors and supporters of Pro Palestine around noon yesterday; however, the situation did not escalate further. Some students who were passing by supported this demonstration while others found it objectionable. “I can still get to class just fine,” said Aiden, a UCLA student. “It’s annoying when it gets loud out here (on campus) – people getting really animated about their views – but I think even if it disrupts some people that might be the point.” However, other students found this protest objectionable as well. Eli Tsives, who is Jewish and a UCLA student said: “Shame on UCLA administration for allowing this to happen,” he added, saying his friends feel unsafe because of anti-Semitic sentiment among some protesters. Later in the afternoon yesterday (Thursday), demonstrators decided to extend their protest site around the campus quad due which they temporarily obstructed news reporters from covering it as all media was asked not to record and leave the camp area unless allowed outside its wooden walls surrounding the campsite. Some students were seen carrying materials like bins, etc., across the quad for use in expanding the demonstration’s size while a worker warned them that he would call police if they continued doing so. Thursday’s protest at UCLA comes after more than 90 Pro-Palestinian protesters faced arrests during hours of protests on USC campus yesterday (Wednesday). The Vice Chancellor Mary Osako issued an official statement to FOX11 regarding the ongoing demonstrations happening around her institution: “Our top priority is always safety and wellbeing for our entire Bruin community,” she said, adding that they were actively monitoring this situation while supporting peaceful campus environments which respect freedom of expression whilst minimizing disruption during teaching and learning hours. Protesters at UCLA claim that they won’t be leaving until the university stops providing funds to Israel as part of their divestment campaign against Israeli actions in Palestine, saying: “We go to school to make changes,” said Marie Salem, a student and organiser. “We go to school and study all these case studies but if we can’t come out of classrooms and really make change then there’s no point going to classes.”