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Classes Move Online At Cal State LA After Protesters Barricade Themselves In Building
A protester pushes a small office cabinet to be used to erect a makeshift barricade around the California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) Student Services Building in Los Angeles on June 12, 2024.
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ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images
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AFP
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Topline:
California State University, Los Angeles classes and operations shifted to remote Thursday after a group of students opposing Israel’s war in Gaza barricaded themselves in the student services building. The students left the building early Thursday morning and returned to their encampment.
How did we get here: The students, who are also calling on the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel, have set up an encampment outside the school’s gymnasium for about six weeks now and have fortified it with plywood. Negotiations with university administrators over the protesters demands, which also include disclosing investments, were ongoing, including with President Berenecea J. Eanes.
On Wednesday night, the protest escalated with social media posts showing some students chaining themselves to the doors of the building.
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The university issued a shelter in place order late Wednesday evening, with some employees still inside the building. While some media reports said the employees were trapped in the building, students held up signs reading “We are not holding anybody hostage.” Another sign read, “Unlike Gazan families, you are free to leave.”
What’s next: LAist has reached out to the university for comment. While classes have not been canceled, the university announced that classes will be remote starting Thursday with no end date given.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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