A movie screening on the night of April 30, 2025 quickly devolved into an anti-Israel protest that saw the physical assault of a student and a police officer. This was followed by significant disruptions in the UCLA student dormitory area.
This protest was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA and Graduate SJP at UCLA, two pro-Palestinian groups that were suspended in February. The University of California Police Department from multiple UC campuses and other campus security were present at the scene with less-than-lethal rounds. Three individuals were arrested by law enforcement throughout the protest that lasted about four hours from 19:00 PDT to 23:00 PDT.
The protest was originally slated to be a screening of a documentary film called “The Encampments” about the anti-Israel encampments and Columbia University at other institutions across Canada and the United States. Yesterday was chosen as the date for the screening as it marked one year since a group of outside instigators attacked members of the anti-Israel encampment at UCLA on the night of April 30, 2024.
SJP and Graduate SJP originally intended to host the screening at Royce Quad–the site of the first anti-Israel encampment. Royce Quad is not a designated area for public expression per the updated Time, Place, and Manner policy. UCPD closed off all of Royce Quad at 15:00 that day announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that there was “no current danger to the campus community”. Around 16:00, law enforcement detained one individual in Meyerhoff Park.
About 25 individuals who appeared to be gathering for the event were seen at 19:00 at the bottom of the Tongva Steps with amplified sound. Closer to 20:00, participants in the screening moved to Bruin Plaza and set up a projector screen which police attempted to move.
At 20:50, a protest began in the De Neve Turnaround with amplified sound and anti-Israel chants identical to those used in previous demonstrations. One student, Eli Tsives, and one police officer were physically assaulted, with the student having his belongings stolen[^1]. Mr. Tsives said he had gone to counter-protest to “show Jewish students that there’s no need to be afraid.” According to Mr. Tsives, a protester took the Israeli flag he had on his person. He then ran to retrieve the flag and, according to Mr. Tsives, around eight protesters circled him and began harassing him, with one putting him in a headlock, which he escaped.
Between 20:55 and 21:25, multiple individuals were detained and around 150 protestors continued chanting with amplified sound in De Neve Turnaround.
UCLA Residential Life maintains additional rules specific to the On Campus Housing community which includes De Neve Turnaround. These rules prohibit “disruptive behavior” by residents. De Neve Turnaround is also not a designated area for public expression[2][3].
At 21:25, protestors exited De Neve Turnaround onto Gayley Avenue, heading towards the UCPD police station on Westwood Boulevard via Le Conte Avenue. They continued chanting as they moved in this direction. The protest dispersed later in the night.
UCLA administration released a statement on the afternoon of May 1 providing a summary of the events. They included messaging condemning the actions of the protestors calling it “deeply troubling” that individuals chose to “commit an act of violence” on campus despite increased security[1].
Since the most recent demonstration in mid-April, there have also been international student visa revocations by the Trump Administration–some of which have been reversed[4]. The Trump Administration has also continued to go after universities in the United States with funding cuts amid heated legal battles between these two parties[5]. Hundreds of college administrations, including UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk signed on to a statement drafted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) that denounces what they described as the Trump Administration’s “undue government intrusion” into university communities[6].
- https://newsroom.ucla.edu/ucla-statement-on-april-30-campus-activity
- https://reslife.ucla.edu/rules/on-campus-housing-regulations
- https://ucla.app.box.com/s/f96iffe5u6p2azrr54gug0zlt85a24zf?&utm_source=1486242611&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BruinPost&utm_content=public-expression
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-admin-restoring-student-visas-ice-framework-termination-rcna203024
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4grwkyxgjwo
- https://www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-call-for-constructive-engagement
