An anti-Israel protest took place on UCLA’s campus yesterday, February 18, 2025. The protest was marketed as a response to the UCLA administration’s interim suspension of the Students for Justice in Palestine and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at UCLA.[1]
This protest took place for about two hours and showed a marked shift in rhetoric from the anti-Israel protests that have taken place during the 2024-25 academic year. This shift is marked by heightened animosity between protesters and counterprotesters, coupled with a significant decline in attendance on both sides. It is likely that the most vocal and extreme elements now dominate, while the broader, more moderate base has disengaged.
One example of charged rhetoric was the return of the chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” which was removed from the list of chants of protesting groups after the clearing of the first encampment. In addition, there was more direct imagery referring to Hamas with one protestor holding up a poster with what appeared to be an AI-generated image of the deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar holding a rifle. Another protestor was also photographed doing what appeared to be the “Seig Heil” salute on the steps of Murphy Hall.
The protest began around 2:00 PM PST with a gathering of protestors on the steps of Royce Quad where the first encampment had been established less than a year prior in April 2024. This gathering violated the Time, Place, and Manner policy established by UCLA at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year which limits the use of amplified sound, where protests can happen, and more.[2] UCLA had placed signage on the lawns of Royce Quad which clearly stated this policy.
Around the same time, counter-protestors appeared near the gathering with Israeli and American flags and “missing” posters that showed images of the hostages currently being held by Hamas. Let’s Do Something, a pro-Israel advocacy group, also attempted to set up a large TV screen on the back of a trailer near the flagpole at Dickson Court. In a written statement, they wrote that they “will play Hamas GoPro footage from October 7th, along with 2 signs that read ‘You’ve been supporting this for 500 days.'” However, they discontinued when made aware that their plan was a violation of university policy. 
After some time, protestors and counterprotestors marched towards Murphy Hall, UCLA’s primary on-campus administrative building. Law enforcement equipped with riot gear and less-than-lethal rounds maintained a presence during the majority of the protest though did not get involved (except for in one instance when the protest was at the UCLA Medical Plaza). The Daily Bruin also reported that one individual was detained when the protest disbanded.
The protest spread further through multiple academic buildings, particularly those in the Court of Sciences. Students reported that the fire alarm was set off in the Engineering IV building while protestors were marching through the hallways. One student, Josh, stated that he could “hear the protest enter MS [Mathematical Sciences] from [his] class in Boelter, drums, chants, and all” with everyone including himself “forced to evacuate the building”.
A couple hours before the start of the protest, multiple organizations that have historically supported the SJP and its cause posted a statement on Instagram stating disapproval over the banning of SJP and Graduate SJP in addition to reiterating previous demands of divestment from specific companies, abolishing of policing on campus, and more. This statement received support from most of the UCLA Undergraduate Student Council board along with other student organizations.
