About 55 students were arrested in the police raid on the Gaza solidarity camp, accused of violating the code of conduct, and threatened with sanctions.
According to faculty members who support the students, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has threatened to discipline and withhold the degrees of at least 55 students associated with the pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Students who were taken into police custody on the 2nd of May after the forceful raid on the Gaza solidarity campsite received notice from the school authorities on Friday accusing them of violating the student’s code of conduct and issuing them a warning of the potentially severe sanctions. The assistant deans stated in a letter that has been reviewed by the Guardian that the students who failed to respond to the police’s dispersal orders and took part in the disorderly behavior, failure to comply, and disturbing the peace.
According to the letter, the students have to attend a gathering to discuss the allegations leveled against them, and no degree will be awarded to them until all allegations are cleared and all sanctions and conditions are completed. The letter also warns if students fail to book their meeting schedules before 5th June or miss their scheduled appointments, they will face sanctions from the administration, including preventing them from registering for future courses, obtaining grades, and even preventing them from graduating. Some people have already received active holds on their online accounts with a warning: “You are preventing you from graduating.”
According to the letter, the university has yet to decide on the pending matter. The students will be given a fair hearing before the final judgment, as it says, “Please note that during our meeting, you will be given an opportunity to explain the situation from your own perspective.
The university spokesperson, Eddie North-Hager, refused to comment on the case, citing confidentiality policies. Instead, he highlighted some of the university’s disciplinary procedures, which contain a wide range of disciplinary sanctions for violations, including housing exclusion, forced apologies, and suspensions.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the most prominent public universities in the United States with an intense examination after counter-protesters physically attacked the pro-Palestinian on April 30 at the solidarity encampment.
Police cleared the encampment and arrested many protest members and organizers. The action sparked criticism from various faculties in the institution, and some called for the chancellor’s resignation. The students also went on strike to protest the institution’s response to the protests.
Regarding the cases, the University of California, Los Angeles’s chancellor, Gene Block, refused to answer questions about the ongoing case. He, however, said that he wished to dismantle the encampment sooner.
Political science professor at UCLA, Graeme Blair, who is also part of a group backing the students facing the university disciplinary committee, stated that about 200 people were arrested on May 2. He alleged that the students are standing on something they believe in and are now facing life-altering consequences.
According to one of the students who received the letters, the communication from the administration caused a lot of anxiety. According to him, the university wants to silence students from talking about genocide. Other students also shared their thoughts on the whole case, and most were unhappy about the incident.
