USC protest encampment cleared by police

A protest encampment on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) has been cleared by police, the school announced Sunday.

USC was one of many universities across the country that gained national attention in recent weeks for pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. In a statement Sunday, University of Southern California President Carol Folt said the school’s Department of Public Safety and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had “removed the occupiers who had reestablished an illegal encampment in Alumni Park.”

“The occupiers repeatedly chose to ignore university policies and break the law, which are meant to benefit everyone. To protect the rights of 80,000 students, staff, and faculty, We needed to act quickly. We are at a critical time, from Quiet Study Week at the end of the semester to final exams and graduation ceremonies,” Folt wrote.

She said she asked the Los Angeles Police Department to assist the Department of Public Safety in clearing the encampment “as peacefully and safely as possible.” She said orders for protesters to disperse were issued at around 4:10 a.m. local time, and the encampment was cleared about 64 minutes later.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the school cooperated in clearing the campsite. Social platform “There were no arrests, no use of force, and no injuries to officers or protesters” during the operation, he said.

Folt said schools “must draw the line” when protests turn into “illegal occupations” and wrote that the occupations have “taken a dangerous turn” in recent days. She said people were harassed, the school’s Trojan symbol was defaced and school property was stolen.

Late last month, dozens of people were arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the USC campus. USC announced last month that it had canceled its major graduation ceremony due to new safety measures amid ongoing protests.

The cancellation comes after some posts on social media sparked backlash, and the school announced that valedictorian Asna Tabassum would be unable to give a speech due to “safety concerns.” It was done.