Demonstrations took place on March 18th and 19th against the ongoing University of California Regents meeting which is set to last from March 18th until March 20th.
In the period leading up to this Regents meeting, there were two instances of protests taking place at the personal residences of UC Regents Jonathan Sures and Elaine E. Batchlor. The protest at Ms. Batchlor’s home allegedly took place on March 14th early in the morning and was not claimed by any particular group (though the group expressed anti-Israel sentiments consistent with those of the SJP and related organizations). This event was reported anonymously by Poppy Press, an unofficial anti-Israel news outlet at UCLA. In light of these incidents, the University increased security around the meeting area of the Luskin Conference Center, including with Mr. Sures seen having a personal security detail outside the Luskin Hotel and fences surrounding it.
During the Regents meeting, the main topic of discussion was financial concerns in light of the recent policy changes in the California state and US federal governments. This coincided with a negative response from demonstrators both in person and online. Many demonstrators were continuing calls for divestment from alleged investments in companies with interests in the State of Israel.
Anti-Israel groups at UCLA posted a condemnation on Instagram of the modifications to the UC budget that were announced on the afternoon of March 19th. These modifications included a hiring freeze and a general call for the UC campuses to develop plans for reductions in spending.
During the demonstration on March 18th, members from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 36, and the University Professional & Technical Employees Union Local 9119 publically participated in and endorsed the protest.
Protest materials included explicit and implicit support for Hamas. One non-student protestor carried a poster of Yahya Sinwar, the orchestrator of the October 7th attacks, shooting a machine gun. Additionally, a sign regularly associated with SJP protests included the slogan “by soul, by blood” and the red triangle symbol of Hamas.
Images provided by Ha’Am team
