Chancellor Block shared the following message with the Bruin community.
Dear Bruin Community:
Late last night, a group of instigators came to Royce Quad to forcefully attack the encampment that has been established there to advocate for Palestinian rights. Physical violence ensued, and our campus requested support from external law enforcement agencies to help end this appalling assault, quell the fighting and protect our community.
However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable. It has shaken our campus to its core and — adding to other abhorrent incidents that we have witnessed and that have circulated on social media over the past several days — further damaged our community’s sense of security.
I also want to acknowledge the trauma and heartache this has brought to our full campus. Resources are available to students through the Student Affairs websiteand Counseling & Psychological Services, and to employees through the Staff & Faculty Counseling Center.
We are still gathering information about the attack on the encampment last night, and I can assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation that may lead to arrests, expulsions and dismissals. We are also carefully examining our own security processes in light of recent events. To help in these efforts, I urge those who have encountered violence to report what they experienced to UCPD, and those who have faced discrimination to contact the Civil Rights Office. We are grateful for the support of law enforcement and their efforts to investigate these incidents.
This is a dark chapter in our campus’s history. We will restore a safe learning environment at UCLA.
Sincerely,
Gene D. Block
Chancellor
Source: https://chancellor.ucla.edu/messages/condemning-violence-in-our-community/.
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There is an evolving timeline at the Daily Bruin:
News reports indicate a crowd has formed protesting the arresting process. Live TV coverage is available on Spectrum Channel 1. There appears to be relative calm as protesters are loaded on to buses by police.
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*Yesterday, Regent Chair Leib made the statement below:
The violence at UCLA yesterday was despicable and unacceptable. The Regents of the University of California will not tolerate violations of the law or University policy on our campuses, including unlawful encampments, hate speech, and other forms of protest not protected by the First Amendment. While we understand the passions surrounding Israel and Gaza, no cause is free from the consequences of conduct on our campuses.
When students are blocked from public walkways, not allowed entry into campus buildings, and are impeded from accessing educational facilities, it is the responsibility of the campus to prevent these clear violations. The actions that have occurred recently have clearly created an unsafe environment. Protests that interfere with University operations or threaten the safety of students require immediate enforcement of University policies so that violent situations are prevented. It is our priority to ensure the safety of all students and allow equal access to education.
Source: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/statement-board-regents-chair-richard-leib-0.
