CAIR-LA and MSA West Condemn UCLA’s Militarized Police Response to Anti-Genocide Encampment, Leading to Arrest of 200 Student Protesters; Demand Investigation into Lack of Protection from Violent Pro-Israel Extremists”.
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) West have strongly condemned the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for its militarized police response to the school’s anti-genocide encampment, resulting in the arrest of approximately 200 student protesters. Early morning on May 2, 2024, police wearing body armor and face shields, armed with guns shooting rubber bullets, entered the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment and began dismantling the tents and barriers around the encampment, leading to reports of several injuries among protesters.
The police response came immediately after pro-Israel extremists from outside groups violently attacked students in the encampment, injuring several people. The assailants shot fireworks at the student protesters, attacked them with chemical weapons, engaged in psychological warfare, and attempted to tear down the encampment. CAIR-LA has called on California and national political leaders to condemn the brutal attacks and initiate an investigation into the lack of protection from police and UCLA administration for the pro-Palestinian student protesters.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik said, “We strongly condemn the arrest of nearly 200 students participating in the encampment to protest against Israel’s genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced starvation in Gaza. UCLA allowed violent extremists to attack and brutalize these students just days before and is now apparently using that incident as a pretext for a heavy-handed police presence at the encampment to arrest the protesters.”
MSA West also released a statement, saying, “We believe student protests are at the heart of a democratic society. We are part of a long legacy of students who have challenged the Vietnam War, South African apartheid, and now the plight of the Palestinian people. We will continue to advocate for Palestine until it is free. Violent pro-Israeli mobs and police action only serve to strengthen our resolve.”
CAIR-LA and MSA West are demanding an investigation into the violent mob that assaulted students for hours at the encampment and holding Governor Gavin Newsom, UC President Michael Drake, and UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block accountable for their failure to protect students from violence on campus and their complicity in facilitating this violence by both the mob and law enforcement. They are also demanding amnesty for all those arrested and immediate protections for students practicing their freedom of speech and assembly across California campuses.
CAIR-LA held a press conference on UCLA’s campus, along with several prominent Muslim-serving organizations, to address the extreme violence against the peaceful student protesters. CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, and MSA West serves Muslim students at forty college campuses across California.
The UCLA Palestine Solidarity encampment is part of a growing movement at over one hundred college campuses across the nation where students have established similar encampments to advocate for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people, reflecting a powerful commitment to social justice and human rights. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability, with many condemning the UCLA administration’s contribution to the intimidation, harassment, and use of excessive law enforcement presence against students participating in peaceful protest and assembly on their own campus.
