Pro-Palestinian protesters sue UCLA alleging civil rights violations

The Wednesday filing accused the University of California, Los Angeles of allowing police and pro-Israel counterprotesters to attack pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The university violated demonstrators' civil rights to free speech and assembly by allowing counterprotesters to attack the encampment with fireworks and makeshift weapons, the lawsuit alleged. The 35 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit also accused three police agencies of illegally arresting protesters and injuring dozens more with rubber bullets and hand-to-hand combat. Many of the plaintiffs were diagnosed with PTSD and depression after police violently raided the encampment the following day, the complaint alleged.

How has UCLA responded? WORLD reached out to UCLA for comment and as of Friday afternoon, had not received a response.

College students around the world, including at UCLA, erected pro-Palestinian encampments to protest Israel’s war on the terror group Hamas in Gaza. Many schools informed students that the camps were not allowed on school property and if the demonstrators would not disperse, they would be considered trespassing and authorities would be involved. The protests took place as anti-Semitic violence levels rose following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The lawsuit against UCLA came as other schools continued addressing the aftermath of protests. At least two pro-Palestinian protest leaders currently face deportation by the Trump administration for their involvement in protests at Georgetown University and Colombia University.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the violent clash between the UCLA protesters last spring.