Pro-Palestinian protesters at California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) barricaded a campus building on Wednesday night, trapping faculty inside, according to multiple reports.
The group of Anti-Israel protesters pushed over picnic tables, golf carts, copy machines and furniture to create an outdoor barricade, shortly before blocking university staff members inside the Student Services building, according to multiple reports. Recent pro-Palestinian protests at another Los Angeles university ignited violence between protesters and counter-protestors, leading to multiple arrests.
The group released a statement on social media stating that CSULA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes “continues to dance around and repress our divestment demands,” referencing calls for the university to halt any funding or financial support of businesses tied to Israel, according to NBC Los Angeles (NBC4).
“We’ve been waiting for a response to our demands for 18 days …There is no more time to spare while families are being massacred by U.S. Imperialism with each minute that passes,” said the group, NBC Los Angeles reported.
The damage following the protest included broken windows, furniture, Pro-Palestinian graffiti, and trash inside and around the building, according to FOX11 Los Angeles (FOXLA). Employees and students outside the building were urged to leave the campus and avoid the area.
A look at the damage left behind. Pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded a building yesterday. The school’s president was believed to be inside at the time. Protesters say no one was being held inside and people were free to leave. More: https://t.co/FfMYWZ4gSG pic.twitter.com/1IlmngOKQt
— Jaysha Patel (@abc7jaysha) June 13, 2024
The university worked hard to provide space for a peaceful, nonviolent protest, and they “are working through options to bring this fluid situation to the best resolution possible,” campus spokesperson Erik Hollins shared with the Los Angeles Times. The group left shortly after the police arrived at the scene, and no arrests were made.
It is unclear if any of the protesters have been identified, as several members of the group wore coverings on their faces to shield their identity.
CSULA’s website put out a notice that reads “Protest Action Alert: All classes and operations on main campus will be held remotely until further notice. Please do not come to main campus. Downtown Campus to continue as normal.”
Recently, protesters were arrested at Stanford University this month for barricading inside the president’s office. Harvard students walked out of their commencement ceremony chanting “free, free Palestine,” and Columbia University cancelled their ceremony in May due to Protests.
California State University Los Angeles, California State University Los Angeles Police Department, Erik Hollins, and Johnson Eanes did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
