USC Encampment Cleared By Police; 'Had To Stop,' School President Says
LOS ANGELES — Police cleared a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday morning.The school said in a social media post around 4:15 a.m. that Los Angeles police were clearing the center of campus, advising that anyone who didn’t leave could be arrested. The demonstrators were surrounded by law enforcement, but no arrests or major confrontations were reported.About two hours later, the university said in an updated post that the encampment was cleared but campus remained closed. By 10:45 a.m., campus had reopened to students, faculty and staff with identification.The move to clear the encampment followed harassment, defacement, theft of university property, the dismantling of commencement structures, noise disruptions during final exams and outside agitators jumping perimeter fencing and assaulting school officers, according to USC President Carol Folt."Despite our efforts to de-escalate, the occupation was spiraling in a dangerous direction over the last several days," Folt said in a message Sunday to the university community. "... This had to stop. With no resolution in sight, I requested the LAPD to assist DPS in removing the encampment as peacefully and safely as possible."The encampment had been set up on a campus green space, with dozens of tents surrounded by makeshift fencing covered in signs with various messages of support for Palestinians and criticism of the university and law enforcement. It had restarted after the LAPD first arrested 93 people April 24.USC, a private university, had been the subject of student protests over the war in Gaza as well as the administration's decision to cancel a commencement speech by the valedictorian, a Muslim student who had expressed support for Palestinians. The university made that decision in mid-April, saying they had safety concerns after receiving threats. Some Jewish groups had criticized the student's selection as speaker.Administrators later canceled the entire main-stage commencement planned for May 10, when 65,000 people were expected to gather to celebrate graduates. Other commencement activities, including graduation ceremonies for individual schools and colleges, are still scheduled for this week. Access to the private campus has largely been restricted for people not affiliated with the university since late April."Over the last few weeks, the university exercised patience and restraint as we worked to de-escalate a volatile situation," Folt said. "We’ve spoken to the occupiers daily, issued repeated warnings, and offered opportunities and locations for them to protest lawfully. We’ve supported their right to express strong opinions and passions for their cause, as always."Yet when free speech protests devolve into illegal occupations, violating the rights of others, we must draw a line. The occupiers repeatedly chose to ignore university policies designed to benefit everyone, and to break the law."Tent encampments of protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread across campuses nationwide in a student movement unlike any other this century. The Associated Press has recorded at least 61 incidents since April 18 in which arrests were made at protests, with more than 2,400 people being arrested on 47 campuses. The protests stem from the conflict that started Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Israeli strikes have devastated the enclave and displaced most of its inhabitants.The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this story.The article USC Encampment Cleared By Police; 'Had To Stop,' School President Says appeared first on Los Angeles, CA Patch.
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