Introduction to the Lawsuit
UCLA activists, including students and faculty, announced Thursday that they are suing the school, alleging administrators failed to protect protesters at a campus pro-Palestinian encampment last school year.
Plaintiffs in the civil rights suit allege they experienced serious physical and verbal attacks, including sexual assault and being beaten, by both police and counterprotesters who attacked their encampment in April 2024, attorneys said.
The civil rights suit against counterprotesters, several police agencies and the university was announced Thursday at a news conference by the UCLA Luskin Conference Center, held by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA). The UC Board of Regents were meeting at the center this week.
Background of the Protests
After the Israel-Hamas conflict unfolded in late 2023, pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA set up a “Palestine Solidarity Encampment” near Royce Quad and held numerous protests in April 2024, echoing many college campuses across the country. Tensions were high as the activists, demanding their school divest and sever ties with Israeli entities, clashed with counterprotesters. Late on April 30, violence broke out as counterprotesters stormed the encampment, resulting in multiple injuries. Later, police in riot gear moved in to clear the encampment, resulting in over 200 arrests.
The violence prompted an investigation, and in part led to the replacement of UCLA’s police chief and increased safety measures at all UC schools.
Several plaintiffs claimed they had severe, lasting injuries; some from being hit with rubber bullets; others pepper-sprayed in the attack.
Personal Accounts of Violence
Thistle Boosinger, a drummer, said that a counterprotester shattered her hand, leading to chronic pain and the loss of income.
“I am drowning in debt that piles up faster than I can pay it off, and I still cannot play drums, write, type, ride a bike, play sports, or even lay my hand flat on a table, or make a fist without terrible pain,” Boosinger said. “This has compromised my life and my emotional well-being in so many devastating and difficult ways.”
Another claim described a jumbotron playing clips with “graphic descriptions of rape and sexual violence, sounds of gunshots, screaming babies, clips of President Biden pledging unconditional support for Israel,” and amplified music, such as a loop of the children’s song ‘Meni Mamtera,’ which Israeli soldiers reportedly used to torture Palestinian captives.
A portion of the lawsuit also focused on the “militarization” of the campus, which plaintiffs argue violates the UC’s previous commitments to limit police involvement on campus, and leaves students of color more vulnerable.
The Lawsuit
The lawsuit, which includes 35 UCLA pro-Palestinian students, faculty, community members, reporters and legal observers, “seeks to hold those who engaged in violence, harassment, and intimidation against Palestine solidarity activists accountable, and remedy the failure to protect activists,” CAIR-CA officials said.
A 2024 CAIR study revealed that 1 in 2 Muslim students reported harassment at California colleges. In its annual civil rights report, released this month, the organization said Islamophobia is at an “all-time high” nationwide, and CAIR’s California offices receive the highest number of anti-Muslim discrimination complaints.
The report also claims a surge — 71.5% — in law enforcement encounters, coinciding with “student-led anti-genocide protests” at universities.
Reported hate against Jewish communities also rose over 50%, a 2024 report from the California Department of Justice said.
At Thursday’s news conference, plaintiffs shared personal accounts of the reported violence last spring.
Afnan Khawaja, a computer science major who graduated in December, said that his final year at UCLA left him with “scars no degree could ever justify.”
Khawaja described the physical abuse he sustained the night of April 30. He said he was punched, pepper-sprayed, kicked in the face, and hit in the head with a wooden rod. Khawaja was among multiple pro-Palestinian plaintiffs claiming they were attacked by counterprotesters for around four hours, alleging UCLA officials did nothing to stop it.
“The true violence (was) the silence of an institution that called itself the number one university,” Khawaja said. “UCLA administration watched in merciless action as we were hunted on our own campus by organized Zionist mobs.”
University Response
On Thursday, university officials said they are aware of the CAIR-CA civil suit, and are “gathering more information.”
“We want to be clear: the University of California unequivocally rejects all forms of hate, harassment and discrimination. Violence of any kind has no place at UC,” said spokesperson Stett Holbrook by email. “We have instituted system-wide reforms to promote safety and combat harassment and discrimination on our campuses. Our focus remains to maintain a UC that is safe and welcoming to all.”
Conclusion
The lawsuit against UCLA is a significant development in the ongoing debate about free speech and campus safety. The plaintiffs’ allegations of violence and harassment are serious and deserve a thorough investigation. The university’s response to the lawsuit will be closely watched, and it is likely that the case will have implications for campuses across the country.
FAQs
Q: What is the lawsuit about?
A: The lawsuit is about the alleged failure of UCLA to protect pro-Palestinian protesters from violence and harassment during a campus encampment in April 2024.
Q: Who are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit?
A: The plaintiffs include 35 UCLA pro-Palestinian students, faculty, community members, reporters, and legal observers.
Q: What are the allegations in the lawsuit?
A: The allegations include physical and verbal attacks, sexual assault, and being beaten by both police and counterprotesters.
Q: How has the university responded to the lawsuit?
A: The university has stated that it is aware of the lawsuit and is gathering more information, and that it rejects all forms of hate, harassment, and discrimination.
Q: What are the implications of the lawsuit?
A: The lawsuit has implications for campuses across the country, particularly in terms of free speech and campus safety.
