University of Southern California officials shut down their main campus and enlisted the help of Los Angeles police to dismantle an encampment on Sunday as pro-Palestinian protests continued to sweep across universities in the United States. Law enforcement is increasingly being called in to disband these demonstrations.
The encampment on the University Park Campus was cleared early Sunday after numerous protesters set up tents and erected banners at Alumni Park. An hour prior to the police arrival, a warning was issued to the protesters.
"UPC has been closed due to significant activity at the center of campus," the university said on social media. "If you are in the center of campus, please leave. Those who do not leave will be arrested. We will issue another alert when it is clear to return." USC’s Senior Vice President of Communications Joel Curran stated that the police action was peaceful. USC President Carol Folt echoed this sentiment, saying that the "operation was peaceful with no arrests."
"With no resolution in sight, I requested the LAPD to assist (USC’s Department of Public Safety) in removing the encampment as peacefully and safely as possible," Folt said in a statement on Sunday. This was the second police crackdown on the USC campus in less than two weeks. On April 24, the police cleared an encampment and arrested 93 people on suspicion of trespassing.
The protests are in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which was launched after a Hamas-led attack on Israeli border communities on October 7, resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths and over 200 people taken hostage. According to authorities in Gaza, more than 34,600 Palestinians have died in the Israeli assault.
Pro-Palestinian protests continue across the United States, with various developments:
- The University of California, Los Angeles, announced on Sunday that it will resume regular operations on Monday and "plans to remain this way through the rest of the week." The school had canceled classes the previous week after counter-protesters attacked the encampment.
- At the University of Texas, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Sunday for a planned May Day protest, calling on the school to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that contribute to Israel, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman. More than a dozen organizations came together to plan the protest to show unity between workers' rights and Palestinian rights. At Chicago's DePaul University, Chicago police formed a line on Sunday to separate a pro-Palestinian protest from counter-demonstrators who arrived on the scene.
- Police in Charlottesville dismantled an encampment at the University of Virginia on Saturday, making about two dozen arrests.
- Dozens of demonstrators were arrested outside the Art Institute of Chicago on Saturday after they "barricaded and locked the gates to fortify their position," according to Chicago police.
- University of Michigan students interrupted commencement with a pro-Palestinian protest on Saturday, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivered remarks and paused twice during the protest to acknowledge the importance of free speech and peaceful protests as American values. No arrests were made, officials said.
Protesters at USC "repeatedly chose to ignore university policies designed to benefit everyone and to break the law," Folt said. An order to disperse was issued at 4:10 a.m. Sunday, according to Folt, and the encampment was cleared within 64 minutes.
"Despite our efforts to de-escalate, the occupation was spiraling in a dangerous direction over the last several days," Folt added. "This had to stop."
In addition to areas of the campus being blocked, Folt said that people were harassed, university property was stolen and defaced, and outside agitators had "jumped the perimeter fencing" and assaulted officers.
Folt said the university is determined to ensure that students can finish their exams "without further disruption" and that the school will be able to host commencement celebrations.
UCLA Announces Changes to Campus Security Operations
UCLA announced on Sunday that several changes will be made to the campus' safety structure and security operations.
"In the past week, our campus has been shaken by events that have disturbed this sense of safety and strained trust within our community. In light of this, both UCLA and the UC Office of the President have committed to a thorough investigation of our security processes," Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. "But one thing is already clear: To best protect our community moving forward, urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations." Block said oversight and management of the UCLA Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management will be moved to a newly created Office of Campus Safety, which will directly report to Block.
The new office will be led by Rick Braziel, who was the former chief of the Sacramento Police Department, according to Block.
Congressman Calls for Campus Protesters to Show ‘Discipline’
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that while he is proud of young people on college campuses for calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict, they need to show discipline in their approach. He referenced peaceful protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as protests that were "above reproach."
“I mean, you can't be shouting 'guillotine, guillotine,'” said Khanna, referencing a recent incident by protesters on George Washington University’s campus. “You can't be shouting 'globalize the Intifada' or 'Zionists don't deserve to live.' What's being lost is that those few protesters who are inciting violence or engaging in that kind of antisemitism are diminishing the thousands of young people who simply want the war to end."
He highlighted Cornell University, University of Minnesota, and Northwestern University as examples of colleges that have taken a more peaceful approach to the protests.
“There have been efforts not to have the police in, to have dialogue with the student protesters, to have much more peace and calm, and there are models for what can work in this country,” Khanna added.
Jordan's Queen Supports US Student Protesters
Jordan's Queen Rania, in an interview for CBS's "Face the Nation," expressed support for U.S. students protesting the Gaza war. She acknowledged that "emotions are running high" at some campus protests but said many people are losing sight of what prompted the protests.
"Gaza in the last seven months has become unrecognizable," she said. "Cities have turned into a wasteland."
Rania, who is of Palestinian descent, said Hamas "absolutely" does not represent the majority of Palestinians. She acknowledged the rise in antisemitism and said it was wrong for any student to feel unsafe on their campus. But for protesters, the issue is social justice, she said.
"They are standing up for human rights, for international law, for the principles that underpin international law," she said. "They're standing up for the future that they're going to inherit."
What Are College Protests Across the US About?
The student protesters opposed to Israel's military attacks in Gaza say they want their schools to stop funneling endowment money to Israeli companies and other businesses, like weapons manufacturers, that profit from the war in Gaza. In addition to divestment, protesters are calling for a cease-fire, and student governments at some colleges have also passed resolutions in recent weeks calling for an end to academic partnerships with Israel. The protesters also want the U.S. to stop supplying funding