Printer-friendly version
By Patrick WatkinsMiriam Raftery also contributed to this report
Photos courtesy of ECM news partner KGTV 10 News
May 9, 2024 (San Diego) – Across the nation, campus protests have erupted over the war raging in the Middle East, including a large march at San Diego State University and an encampment at the University of California locally, the latter ending in arrests.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have demanded an end to the war as well as an end to American funds and weapons being shipped to Israel, also calling on universities to divest from investments in Israel.
Counter-protesters have expressed support for Israel and voiced concerns over their safety and comments they believe are anti-Semitic promoted by some supporters of the Palestinian cause.
Some campus protests have turned violent, notably at the University of California, Los Angeles, where clashes between protesters included violent assaults and fireworks lobbed. Police have broken up encampments at UCLA and some other campuses, as administrators seek to restore peace in time for final exams and graduations.
Since Hamas militants killed 1,134 Israeli civilians on October 7 and took hundreds of hostages back to Gaza, Israel’s military retaliation has killed an estimated 34,735 Palestinians, according to the United Nations. Israel has long been one of America's strongest allies in the Middle East, but this alliance has been put to the test by the mounting casualties in Gaza, causing the U.S. to temporarily pause weapons shipments to Israel. As Israel now launches an offensive against Hamas in Rafah, civilian casualties continue to mount—along with unrest on U.S. college campuses.
SDSU protest stays peaceful
On May 1, students at SDSU set up a march in solidarity with Gaza and fellow campus protests calling for a ceasefire.
Amena, a pro-Palestinian student protester at SDSU, said, “We want to fully divest from Israeli corporations that SDSU funds and still funds till this day. We have been asking. We have been talking to them about divestment for years at this point,” 10 News, an ECM news partner, reports.
Jess, an SDSU student who observed the march, told ECM that Sheriff’s personnel were on hand, however, “It was entirely peaceful. Students marched from Hepner Hall across campus. Some people showed up to counter protest but no issues happened between them.”
Hillel, an on-campus organization for Jewish students, sent this statement to ECM: “Our most important priority is keeping Jewish students safe — first, foremost, and always. We appreciate that the administration will hold students accountable to the code of conduct and prevent our campus from devolving like we’ve seen on other campuses throughout the country.” This statement was given prior to what unfolded at UCSD.
Arrests at UCSD encampment
On May 2, an encampment was established at the University of California, San Diego. Unlike the one-day protest at San Diego State, UCSD students organized a five-day encampment that ended with police being brought in to dismantle it.
In a statement on May 5, Chancellor Prabdheep K. Khosla stated, “This encampment poses an unacceptable safety and security hazard on campus.”
On Sunday, hundreds of Jewish counter protesters marched past the encampment, carrying Israeli flags and signs supporting hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, KPBS reports.
According to Chancellor Khosla, the administration had attempted for all five days of the protest to work with students to end the encampment before calling in law enforcement on the sixth day. Video from 10 News shows officers in riot gear giving a “10 minute warning to disperse” before moving in and clashing with those encamped.
A total of 64 protesters were arrested, 40 of whom were students, according to UCSD. Immediately after the arrests were made, protesters blocked police buses, then after arriving downtown at the Central Jail, demanded their release. The protester arrested face multiple charges including resisting arrest, while the 40 students face suspension.
Two minor injuries were reported, including a local Imam, Taha Hassane. Taha reports that he was pepper sprayed by law enforcement, telling 10 News, “How can you do this in the face of innocent, unarmed, peaceful protesters? These are students of UCSD...” The Imam says he told officers to “put their guns away and this is when one of the Sheriff officers got his pepper spray and sprayed me straight to my eyes...” The Sheriff's department has not commented on the use of pepper spray during arrests.
Now two days after the arrests, tensions are still high on campus. At UCSD, a walkout has been staged once again in protest of the war and now in response to the administration's actions too. Some students are even calling for Chancellor Kohsla to resign or be ousted for calling in what they see as an unnecessary crackdown.
Though Gaza is thousands of miles away, the impacts are being felt here in San Diego, which has many Arab-American and Jewish residents. With Israel currently attacking Rafah and thousands of UCSD students still on the march, this conflict continues to escalate.
Comments
The patriots didn't slaughter
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine
Please Be Accurate
Your Accuracy is Subjective
You're too late with your one sided message. The Israeli Govenment has already lost this war and it's been seen by the World what the Zionist's are really about. Most are now feeling the Zionists are the Terrorists and are the Antisemitic ones destroying their own Nation.