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UCLA professors and students sue over arrests tied to Gaza war protests
A tense standoff at UCLA has officers begin making arrests early Thursday and dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment that went up a week ago.
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Topline:
Two UCLA professors and two UCLA graduate students who took part in protests related to the war in Gaza are suing the University of California for a violation of their state constitutional rights.
Allegations: The plaintiffs joined in protests that called for universities to divest from companies that support Israel’s war effort. The protests carried on throughout last spring, and included an encampment on campus. Two of the plaintiffs were arrested after police cleared out that encampment in early May. They say their arrest violates the state constitution because the university did not have probable cause to declare the encampment an unlawful assembly. All plaintiffs allege the university suppressed constitutionally protected activity.
What they’re asking for: Among other things, they’re asking the court to declare unlawful the university’s declaration that the encampment was an unlawful assembly, and expunge arrest and disciplinary records.
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The university's response: A spokesperson told LAist: "UCLA fully supports community members expressing their First Amendment rights in ways that do not violate the law or our policies, jeopardize community safety, or disrupt the functioning of the university."
Encampments allowed before: The lawsuit says UCLA allowed students and professors to create encampments during protests in years past, including the protests against apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s.
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