LOS ANGELES – Two officially recognized pro-Palestinian student organizations at UCLA were suspended Wednesday and are under administrative review following allegations of vandalism at the residence of a UC regent in Brentwood and reports of harassment.
Members of Students for Justice in Palestine and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine arrived at the Brentwood home of UC Regent Jay Sures last Wednesday, where the two groups protested, vandalized property and harassed Sures, his family and neighbors, according to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk.
Frenk asserted that discourse facilitates the examination of ideas and encourages the introduction of new viewpoints, ultimately fostering growth and development — that healthy dialogue centralizes the advancement of knowledge.
Following the allegations of vandalism and harassment, Frenk condemned the organizations and issued an interim suspension Wednesday.
“No one should ever fear for their safety,” Frenk said in a statement. “Without the basic feeling of safety, humans cannot learn, teach, work, and live — much less thrive and flourish. This is true no matter what group you are a member of — or which identities you hold. There is no place for violence in our Bruin community.”
The two pro-Palestinian organizations faced allegations of several infractions, including:
–Members intimidating Sures, the vice chairman and one of the four managing directors of the global entertainment company, United Talent Agency, and his family outside their home;
–Demonstrators encircling the vehicle of a family member of Sures, obstructing their ability to leave;
–Protesters beating drums, chanting slogans, and displaying menacing signs with statements like “Jonathan Sures, you will pay until your final day;” and
–Individuals defacing Sures’ residence by applying red handprints to the exterior walls and draping banners over the hedges of the property.
The Office of Student Conduct is undertaking an administrative review to examine possible conduct violations by both student organizations, indicating that the suspension will continue to be enforced throughout the investigation.
It is uncertain whether any acts of violence occurred during the demonstration, but Frenk indicated that should the reports be substantiated, appropriate disciplinary measures would be implemented.
Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA called the suspensions “dangerous and duplicitous.”
“Students for Justice in Palestine and its graduate student wing are speaking out on behalf of the tens of thousands killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, and demanding that the UC divest from the multiple income streams — from investments to research — that fund this genocide,” a statement from the faculty organization said.
Israel has denied allegations that it is committing genocide, saying it has done everything it can to protect civilians, whereas Hamas has deliberately put Palestinians in harm’s way.
The deaths in the Gaza Strip come from Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants into nearby Israel that killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians while some 250 people, including children, were captured by Hamas and other groups and taken into Gaza.
Wade Stern, president of the Federated University Peace Officers Association, which represents over 250 police officers within the University of California Police Department System, praised the suspensions, calling them “long overdue.”
“These actions were not peaceful protests; they were targeted intimidation,” Stern said. “For more than a year, some members of these groups have violated UCLA’s rules of conduct with impunity. Yet, until now, the university has refused to impose meaningful consequences.
“Even in response to this blatant act of vandalism and harassment, UCLA’s initial response was a weak, equivocating statement touting a commitment to `freedom of speech’ and `nonviolent protest’ before finally acknowledging the criminality of these actions.
“This crime warranted immediate, unequivocal condemnation. While this suspension is a necessary first step, it is not enough. Any UC student engaging in criminal conduct — vandalism, threats, or harassment — must face real consequences. That means prosecution for violations of criminal law and immediate suspension or expulsion for breaches of UCLA’s student conduct policies.
“We call on UCLA to support the LAPD in its ongoing investigation of the crimes committed against Regent Sures and his family and for UCLA to demand prosecution of those identified as having violated the law. Universities cannot allow lawlessness under the guise of activism. Only through full accountability will these students learn to confine their actions to those permitted by law and university policy.”