Police clear pro-Palestine encampment at Cal State LA; no arrests reported

Less than a week after protesters staged a sit-in and vandalized a campus building, police cleared a pro-Palestine encampment that had been set up for over a month at Cal State Los Angeles. There were no arrests, according to reports.

California Highway Patrol officers moved in on the encampment early Monday afternoon. Cal State L.A. spokesman Erik Frost Hollins told media that only seven people were still in the camp, and all of them voluntarily dispersed when the order came to vacate in the afternoon.

There was no use of force by officers and no arrests were made, Hollins said.

Protest leaders from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at CSULA shared an Instagram post showing photos and footage on Monday, and saying their encampment was “forcefully swept.”

“Over 150 pigs sweep the encampment in broad daylight with overwhelming police presence and zero notice from admin,” the post said. Between 1:10 and 2 p.m., they allege, there were three dozen police units on campus and that cops were in full riot gear, circling the encampment and announcing, “If you stay you’ll be arrested.” They said that encampment members had five minutes to gather their belongings and leave.

The mostly peaceful encampment, which involved both SJP students and affiliated faculty, was first formed outside the school gymnasium on May 1.

Through daily activities and occasional campus rallies for over 40 days, the student activists have been demanding the university divest from Israeli interests and disclose its investments, among other concerns.

SJP leaders and other pro-Palestine activists at CSULA have said that their school leaders “continue to dance around and repress our divestment demands.”

Last Wednesday, June 12, they accelerated their demands Wednesday night by taking over the Student Services building, while several Cal State L.A. employees and administrative staff, including President Berenecea Johnson Eanes, were inside, officials confirmed. They barricaded the entrance with umbrellas, tables and chairs, according to reports, and some chained themselves to the building.

The school sent out a shelter-in-place order that afternoon, and told others to leave campus.

Police were able to escort some of the employees out of the building within a few hours of the occupation beginning, Hollins said. He said Eanes was among about 12 administrators who were initially sheltering in place inside the building. Eanes and the remaining administrators left the building shortly after midnight last Thursday morning.

“There were a dozen, then it got down to maybe half a dozen administrators who remained in the building to work the situation throughout the evening,” Hollins said.

Most of the protesters voluntarily left the Student Services building at around 1 a.m. last Thursday, according to reports, and returned to the existing pro-Palestine encampment a few meters away. The remaining handful were coaxed out by university officials a short time later, officials said.

The protestors reiterated that they were not holding anyone hostage in the student services building. Significant damage — including shattered windows and glass, spray-painted graffiti, overturned campus vehicles and destruction of services — was reported inside, officials said.

Later that day, President Eanes condemned the “violence and destruction” of the building, telling encampment members that they “crossed a line” and must leave. As long as the encampment remained peaceful, Eanes said, university officials allowed it to stay, amid ongoing negotiations with the encampment leaders about their demands.

“We have been in ongoing formal and informal communication with the encampment and its advisers. I went into the encampment twice. I made significant commitments on transparency, respectful conversations, and mental health support. These are all within my authority and aligned with our first principles as a university,” Eanes said in her community message. “So long as the encampment remained non-violent, I was committed that the university would continue to talk.”

Eanes also said in her statement that three CSULA employees and one student were assaulted during last week’s occupation. No other details were released.

“I am saddened, and I am angry,” she said. “A trust we had in the Encampment to practice non-violence has been violated. Trust is a hard thing to restore, but we will do the work together.”

A criminal investigation was underway last Thursday, Cal State L.A. officials said, but there were no reports of any arrests tied to the occupation or vandalism of the building.

All classes at the main CSULA campus have been held remotely since last week’s occupation, Hollins said. Classes will be held remotely again on Tuesday, and officials plan to “reassess after that.”

“Our chief concern at Cal State LA has always been the safety and security of all involved: our students, faculty, staff, public, and protesters,” Eanes said. “The significant damage to SSB will affect student-facing services: including admissions, records, accessible technology, basic needs, new student and family engagement, Dreamer resources, and educational opportunity programs. It will take time to restore all those spaces and divert significant resources that would otherwise go to academics, student services or operations.”

The California State University system “does not intend to alter existing investment policies related to Israel or the Israel-Hamas conflict,” according to an April 30 statement from the Office of the Chancellor.

“Because of state law and CSU’s investment policies restrictions, the CSU does not invest in direct stocks or equities in any companies. The system does invest in mutual funds, bonds, and other instruments. Through careful management of the university funds, CSU investments provide a stable revenue stream that benefits our students and faculty, and supports our critical campus facilities, scholarships, and other key elements of our educational mission,” the statement said.

“While the CSU affirms the right of our community members to express diverse viewpoints, a divestment of this sort impinges on the academic freedom of our students and faculty and the unfettered exchange of ideas on our campuses.”

CSU Chancellor Mildred García also condemned the actions of the protesters last week.

“What happened at Cal State L.A. yesterday was unacceptable,” Garcia said in a statement. “I want to be clear: The CSU has demonstrated that we value free speech and peaceful protest, but we do not condone unlawful acts that put people at risk. Vandalism, destruction of property, assault, looting are not free speech, they are not protected activities.

“I and my office are in close contact with President Eanes and will be providing her and her team the support they need as they assess the damage that has been done and begin to heal as a community.”