Following violent clashes on campuses earlier this year, the University of California plans to enforce all rules to prohibit encampments.
UC President Michael Drake directed the chancellors of the 10 campuses in the system to strictly enforce rules against encampments, protests that block pathways and masking that shields identities.
The backstory: Violence erupted on UC campuses this spring over the Israel-Hamas war, with the worst happening at UCLA.
- UCLA had to cancel all classes after protesters and counter-protesters clashed, with the videos circulating social media and dozens of people arrested.
- Last week a federal judge ruled that UCLA is prohibited from allowing protesters to bar Jewish students from accessing classes and campus facilities.
The big picture: Drake sent a letter to the UC community saying that while the system supports the right to protest and free speech, those rights must not “place community members in reasonable fear for their personal safety or infringe on their civil rights.”
- “We make every effort to nurture free expression and provide countless opportunities and venues for our students, faculty, other academic appointees, and staff to safely and lawfully share their diverse viewpoints and beliefs,” Drake wrote. “While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not.”
- Drake wrote that the UC’s ultimate goal is for all of its community members to feel supported in their ability to express themselves and to pursue their studies while having a clear understanding of the principles, policies and laws that govern their behavior on campus.
Go deeper: Drake also directed chancellors to provide the existing policies that apply to protests and demonstrations before the fall term begins.
- Chancellors are asked to notify campus members about bans on camping or encampments, erecting unauthorized structures, restrictions on free movement, refusal to reveal one’s identity when asked to do so by university staff and some masking.
- Existing UC policy prohibits people from wearing masks to intimidate others, although masks are allowed during peaceful protests.
- Drake said violators should first be given a warning with the opportunity to change their behavior. If further violations occur, people may be cited for breaking university rules or arrested by the police.
