TV Video confirms no police for an extended period

Reporter: "Where is authority?"

The latest BruinAlert:

Due to the distress caused by the violence that took place on Royce Quad late last night and early this morning, all classes are cancelled today.

The hospital and health system, the Luskin Conference Center, and PreK-12 schools remain open. Please avoid the Royce Quad area.

Royce Hall remains closed through Friday, and students should watch for notifications from their instructors with information about class locations when classes resume. Powell Library is also closed and is scheduled to reopen on Monday. We have law enforcement presence stationed throughout campus to help promote safety. Student Affairs will have essential staff on campus to support our students who have been impacted by this tragedy.

For more information about emergencies at UCLA, please visit https://bso.ucla.edu/.

Excerpt from the LA Times:

...A group of security guards could be seen observing the clashes but did not move in to stop them. One representative of the camp said the counterdemonstrators repeatedly pushed over the barricades that outline the boundaries of the encampment, and some campers said they were hit by a substance they thought was pepper spray.

Some people in the camp were being treated for eye irritation and other wounds. The extent of the injuries was unclear, though The Times saw several people who were bleeding and needed medical attention. UCLA officials decried the violence and said they had requested help from the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support. The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end,” Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications, said in a statement.

At around 1:40 a.m., police officers in riot gear arrived, and some counterprotesters began to leave. But the police did not immediately break up the clashes at the camp, which continued despite the law enforcement presence...

Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-30/ucla-moves-to-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-as-unlawful.

Another emergency meeting of the Regents

 Teleconference locations:

3333 North Torrey Pines Ct, La Jolla, CA
433 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA [UCLA's new downtown office building]
465 California Street, Suite 611, San Francisco, CA
5025 Thacher Road Ojai, California, 93023

Source: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may24/special5.3.pdf.

There is no agenda posted, but the reason for this sudden meeting is evident.

Chaos invites chaos

The ticking time bomb created by an escalating situation at the encampment went off. UCLA managed to outdo Columbia by leaving a chaotic situation in place. The encampment, per se, could have been a peaceful means of protest had it not blocked access to public areas and buildings. As we noted in an earlier post, the idea that you could just run the clock and nothing bad would happen was conceivable at Berkeley with its semester coming to an end. But as we noted, UCLA is on a quarter system which ends in mid-June. Running the clock was not a likely option for UCLA.*

If you looked at social media (as opposed to anonymous BruinAlerts), you could see the escalating incidents. Outsiders representing who-knows-what began to appear, as the image here illustrates. 

Incidents were reported through tweets and other social media as well as conventional TV news. Those who complained about incidents to the UCLA police were explicitly told that higher ups had decided not to take any action.

In particular, it was reported that ultimately there was no enforcement of basic university rules and legal obligations of the university. That type of atmosphere invites bad actors.

Here (below) is a random tweet video related to the situation at UCLA recorded yesterday, i.e., well before last night's debacle:

So, anyone on social media could learn that what you had is a chaotic situation at UCLA in which individuals or groups could get away with anything with no consequences. What do you think that kind of atmosphere invites?

End of Rant.

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*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2024/04/who-is-we.html; https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2024/04/waiting-it-out.html.

At last, a message has come - too late

Late delivery

It's been several days overdue, but a message from the chancellor has arrived. Unfortunately, it came too late and without adequate police presence:

Chancellor Block shared the following message with the Bruin community.

Dear Bruin Community:

This past Thursday, a group of demonstrators — both members of the UCLA community and others unaffiliated with our campus — established an unauthorized physical encampment on part of Royce Quad, joining those who have set up similar presences at universities around the country. 

Many of the demonstrators, as well as counter-demonstrators who have come to the area, have been peaceful in their activism. But the tactics of others have frankly been shocking and shameful. We have seen instances of violence completely at odds with our values as an institution dedicated to respect and mutual understanding. In other cases, students on their way to class have been physically blocked from accessing parts of the campus.

UCLA supports peaceful protest, but not activism that harms our ability to carry out our academic mission and makes people in our community feel bullied, threatened and afraid. These incidents have put many on our campus, especially our Jewish students, in a state of anxiety and fear.

In response, we have taken several immediate actions. We have significantly increased our security presence in the area, including adding greater numbers of law enforcement officers, safety personnel and student affairs mitigators. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate the recent acts of violence. 

The barriers that demonstrators used to block access to buildings have been removed, and we have staff located around Royce Quad to help ensure that they will not go up again. With regard to these incidents, our student conduct process has been initiated, and could lead to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion. 

We continue to encourage anyone who experiences discrimination to report it to our Civil Rights Office. If you feel you are in danger, contact UCPD.

I recognize that the suffering in the Middle East has had a profound impact on our campus, and we continue to hope for a peaceful resolution. While Bruins hold a variety of perspectives on this conflict, we must all protect the wellbeing of our peers and maintain an environment safe for learning. This is a commitment I call on our community to uphold as we navigate the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

Gene D. Block, Chancellor

Source: https://chancellor.ucla.edu/messages/affirming-our-values-in-a-challenging-time/.

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And there is this from yesterday:

BruinALERT: Access to Royce Hall is now closed through Friday. Alternate locations are being identified as options for classes taking place in Royce. Instructors will inform students about further information regarding class location. Faculty should reach out to their departments for possible classroom reassignments.

Powell Library will close at 5 p.m. today, Tuesday, and reopen on Monday. Other library spaces across campus remain open at their regular hours. Alternative study spaces are available via UCLA Library.

Non-academic staff who usually work in these buildings should plan to work remotely.

Student affairs representatives, along with signage, are stationed near Royce Quad to let Bruins and visitors know about the encampment and closed buildings, redirect them if desired and serve as a resource for their needs. We have also enhanced security measures and increased the numbers of our safety team members on site, including our uniformed Student Affairs Mitigators (SAMs), Public Safety Aides (PSAs), CSC and law enforcement officers.

May Retirement Webinars

Here is a list of webinars for the month of May giving an overview of retirement benefits offered by UC. The webinars cover primary benefits (Pension/Choice) that provide a foundation for retirement income and voluntary benefits that offer additional savings opportunities [403(b), 457(b) and DC plans].

Tuesday, May 7, 9:00 a.m. PT

Wednesday, May 15, noon PT

Wednesday, May 22, 1:00 p.m. PT

Other related webinars are also listed with sign-ups available at:

https://myucretirement.com/Classes/ClassSchedule/19.

Notice Being Passed Out at the Encampment

 
Source: https://dailybruin.com/2024/04/30/ucla-declares-encampment-unlawful-states-potential-consequences-for-participants.

Who is "we"?

The BruinAlert system was designed to notify folks of emergency situations on campus such as fires, earthquakes, or other incidents. For example, here is a BruinAlert notification from August 9th of last year:

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BruinALERT: AVOID THE AREA of SCHOENBERG. Emergency crews are On Scene. Expect traffic delays, consider alternate routes, and allow for additional travel time. Follow the direction of public safety personnel.  

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In the last few days, absent any statements by the chancellor (or anyone in Murphy Hall), the BruinAlert system seems to have become a system of dissemination of policy and emotion as well as news of the day. Here, for example, is yesterday's alert:

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BruinALERT: UCLA has a long history of peaceful protest and we are heartbroken to report that yesterday, some physical altercations broke out among demonstrators on Royce Quad.

We have since instituted additional security measures and increased the numbers of our safety team members on site, including our uniformed Student Affairs Mitigators (SAMs), Public Safety Aides (PSAs), CSC and campus security.

As an institution of higher education, we stand firmly for the idea that even when we disagree, we must still engage respectfully and recognize one another’s humanity. We are dismayed that yesterday certain individuals instead chose to jeopardize the physical safety of the community.

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It is not clear who is "we" in this message, but it has aspects of the Royal We. Wouldn't it be better if the chancellor just issued statements directly?