Absent a Plan, We Need an Interim Administration

Yesterday, before the violence, UC President Drake issued the statement below:

April 30, 2024

A statement from UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., on free speech and campus protests:

The University has a long and proud history of supporting freedom of speech and First Amendment rights. We readily accept our obligation to protect the rights of our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campuses. The right to protest and demonstrate against policies and practices of governing authorities is among the most important privileges of a democracy. This right is not, however, absolute. We must exercise our rights within the broad confines of the laws and policies we ourselves have established.

Earlier today, the UCLA campus sent out a message for those in the UCLA encampment informing them that the encampment is unlawful and violates university policy.

I fully support the campus in taking this step. The University of California must be as flexible as it can involving matters of free expression, including expression of viewpoints that some find deeply offensive. But when that expression blocks the ability of students to learn or to express their own viewpoints, when it meaningfully disrupts the functioning of the University, or when it threatens the safety of students, or anyone else, we must act.

There are countless ways to protest lawfully, and the University of California campuses will work with students, faculty and staff to make space available and do all we can to protect these protests and demonstrations. But disruptive unlawful protests that violate the rights of our fellow citizens are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

Source: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/statement-uc-president-michael-v-drake-md-free-speech-and-campus-protests.

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If the current administration cannot "act," the next line of authority is the UC president and the Regents.