Students at the University of Southern California set up a tent camp Wednesday to emulate the protest taking place at Columbia and other schools.
The encampment in Alumni Park — where the university’s main-stage commencement is scheduled to take place next month — went up before sunrise and grew into the late morning as students, wearing keffiyahs and holding “free Palestine” and “liberated zone” signs, banged drums and chanted.
“Disclose! Divest! We will not stop, we will not rest!” said the crowd, which billed itself in a statement as the”USC Divest from Death Coalition.”...
.@USC students have began a ‘Gaza Solidarity Occupation’ at Alumni Park. DPS officers are stationed nearby, their presence becoming more prominent as time goes by. pic.twitter.com/v9wZhQbSWl
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
Like Columbia, USC has a no camping policy and campus police informed students the tents would need to come down.
DPS is taking away the tents @USC pic.twitter.com/qS60MWmEDG
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
As ever, there is nothing leftist protesters like more than shouting at the police.
“Is this your legacy?” Students ask DPS officers at @USC pic.twitter.com/NItQ58R13T
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
“Disclose, divest, we will not stop. We will not rest,” @usc students chant as DPS officers try to take their tents pic.twitter.com/LdSVnNGRNw
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
The school released a statement suggesting some of the protesters were not part of the school.
“The people remain in Alumni Park — most appeared to be unaffiliated with the university,” the statement continued. “Our students, faculty and staff are allowed to express their views and have been doing so throughout the school year.”
Just before noon, things took a turn as police began clearing the camp and scuffles broke out.
But at around 11:20 a.m., campus officers began dismantling the encampments, gathering folding chairs, blankets and boxes belonging to the protesters, who then started moving their tents and belongings around to avoid confiscation.
About 30 minutes later, some demonstrators could be seen violently clashing with campus safety and LAPD officers as the crowd grew to more than 100.
Officers appeared to be making an arrest and took out their batons to keep the crowd back.
DPS officers put their hands on a @USC student; take out batons pic.twitter.com/gPx8TwSqqj
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
I honestly can't tell if this is the same incident from a different angle or something else.
This is turning very ugly at USC with protesters, not all are students, face off with campus police pic.twitter.com/CfmFcBAplD
— Josh Haskell (@abc7JoshHaskell) April 24, 2024
One person was taken to a nearby police car but students surrounded the car and refused to let it leave. Some NSFW language here.
“Blockade the car!” pic.twitter.com/6M4in1RTeD
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
They call this de-arresting.
BREAKING: At USC’s Gaza solidarity encampment, protestors surround an LAPD car and successful de-arrest a student. Brutal crackdown by police is ongoing but the students are undeterred pic.twitter.com/nub0TqtQcf
— Palestinian Youth Movement (@palyouthmvmt) April 24, 2024
Aerial view of @usc students blocking DPS car with detained student inside pic.twitter.com/VpMxRFkoTb
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
Eventually, the police gave in.
DPS releases the detained @USC student; crowd goes back to alumni park
— angie (@angorellanah) April 24, 2024
Also, there’s been an LAPD helicopter flying overheard for a while now pic.twitter.com/0BdFGSWiYC
Because all of this was happening, USC announced the campus was closed.
There is still significant activity at the center of the UPC campus due to a demonstration. The gates are closed, so anyone coming to campus should be prepared to show an ID at the gates for class or for business. Please continue to avoid the center of cam https://t.co/t9yoo28FCU
— USC (@USC) April 24, 2024
All of this follows an earlier controversy in which the school's valedictorian was asked not to speak over controversy involving her views on Israel.
As Karen pointed out Tabassum was selected as Valedictorian from a group of about 100 people. Apparently the school didn't know or care about her views at the time which, as you can see above, called for the complete eradication of Israel.
That seems to be all of the drama at USC for now but if USC follows the pattern being set by other schools, this protest could go on until the end of the school year.
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