California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Wednesday that pro-Palestinian activists would use force to set up illegal encampments at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to keep others out. He condemned the recent acts of violence.
governor @GavinNewsom statement about the violence that occurred in @UCLA.
The right to free speech does not apply to inciting violence, vandalism, or unlawful activity on campus. pic.twitter.com/6XCicntdEp
— Governor of California (@CAgovernor) May 1, 2024
Like University of California President Michael Drake, Newsom had previously been silent. UCLA President Gene Block had just condemned the encampment on Tuesday. caveat that the students involved may face consequences;
Activists invaded UCLA’s central plaza on Thursday and set up wooden barricades. On Friday, activists physically assaulted the reporter and refused media access to public spaces to film the protest.
UCLA apparently delegated security powers to the activists, who began patrolling the area around the encampment, allowing entry only to those with wristbands and denying passage to “Zionist” Jews and others.
Those who tried to cross public spaces to get to class were forcibly prevented from entering, and several scuffles broke out. Sunday’s rally also included scuffles with pro-Israel counter-protesters due to insufficient security at UCLA. Activists were forced to besiege pro-Israel counter-demonstrators, including young children, with aggressive pro-Palestinian activists. UCLA is short-staffed but claimed to have security guards stationed around the encampment.
Finally, on Wednesday morning, after a night in which pro-Israel vigilantes and pro-Palestinian activists clashed on campus and police did not arrive until hours later, Newsom condemned the violence, vandalism and “lawlessness.” did.
The episode is reminiscent of the Black Lives Matter riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, when then-candidate Joe Biden died three days after Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed three people in self-defense. He refused to criticize until he killed two people.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
