A pro-Palestinian protest at UCLA drew criticism after being held on 7 October, the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, although the demonstration remained peaceful and no physical clashes were reported.
More than 70 people marched across the University of California, Los Angeles campus on Wednesday, with organisers from Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA saying the event was intended to honour Palestinians killed during the ensuing war and call for Palestinian rights.
The demonstration began at Bruin Plaza shortly after midday before moving through several parts of the Westwood campus. Protesters carried Palestinian flags, white kites and placards, while speakers called for the University of California to divest from companies linked to the Israeli military and for campus policing to be abolished.
About 30 UCLA police officers and university staff monitored the march. The group later passed a display commemorating those killed in Israel on 7 October, a moment that heightened concerns among some students about the timing of the protest.
“What they’re doing is protesting on a day that’s all about remembrance, on a day that Hamas invaded Israel,” said Noam Lazarov, a UCLA student.
Mr Lazarov said he believed there was room for debate about Palestinian rights, but criticised chants including calls for “intifada”, arguing that they risked being interpreted as support for violence.
UCLA protest moved under campus rules
The march was redirected from Dickson Plaza after a Student Affairs official told demonstrators it was not a designated area for public expression under UCLA’s time, place and manner rules. The protesters then moved to Wilson Plaza before returning to Bruin Plaza, where the demonstration ended at about 2.15pm.
UCLA’s rules allow public-expression activities in designated areas and prohibit conduct that blocks walkways, disrupts campus operations or threatens the safety of others. The university says staff may initially seek to resolve violations before involving police.
Organisers defended holding the event on the anniversary of the Hamas attacks, pointing to the Palestinian death toll in the war and United Nations reporting on children killed in Gaza. A spokesperson said the protest was focused on Palestinian rights, freedom and opposition to what organisers described as occupation.
Some demonstrators wore face coverings and declined to speak directly to journalists, instead directing questions to designated representatives. The event concluded without arrests or reported confrontations.
